Marvel Her-oes: Tigra
by DefectiveCat576
Summary: Tigra's origin story. Rated for language and other stuff.
1. Chapter 1

**DC57: Here it is. I made mention in my "redo" of my Cheetah story, that this one was going to get an overhaul as well. Again, my continuity errors were atrocious in the first Tigra story. As opposed to just re-editing ALL those chapters... Well, I have a tendency just delete what I started and start over. I kinda felt this would be a better way to get the story the way I wanted it.**

Greer Grant was working on guarding a shorter post during her basketball game. Her friend, Patsy Walker had the ball, heading towards their goal to score.

This was the playoff game. Her school's team never made it to the play offs. Not until the "dynamic duo" of Patsy and Greer hit the floor. They proved themselves during their sophomore year of high school, taking the junior varsity team all the way to the semi-finals. When they tried out for basketball again, they were eagerly scooped up by the varsity coach.

Patsy was smaller, faster and the best ball-handler of the team. She was also willing to pass the ball to her teammates. Coach made her a point guard.

Greer was stronger and fast as well. Taller than most of the girls in their league, she easily caught rebounds to pass, or to reshoot again for an easy two points. Also because of her size, she was often fouled on, and also garnered free throws.

It also helped the team that the two had been the best of friends since elementary school.

"Grant!" Bobbi Morse called out to her teammate.

Greer looked up too late. A member of the opposing team had the ball and was headed straight for her. Greer tried to brace herself underneath the goal, but the woman kept coming.

Greer had taken hits during a game before, but when the smaller woman's shoulder made serious contact with Greer's sternum and her elbow rammed right into Greer's solar plexus. Greer went down and smacked her head on the floor, knocked out cold.

* * *

"Greer? Greer! Wake up hun!" Patsy delicately tapped her face.

"Mmmf…." Greer groaned, she was still on the floor of the basketball court. Her vision was blurry at first before it finally cleared. "What happened?"

"You took one hell of a charge." Patsy stood and offered her hand to help Greer up. "From Karla Sofen." She thumbed to the blonde now scowling on the opposing bench as she was berated by her own coach for blatantly charging Greer.

Greer pushed herself upright, then grabbed the offered hand. She felt dizzy though and held on to Patsy's shoulders. The crowd gave their traditional applause when an injured player got up under their own power.

"We gotta check you out, Red." A medic approached the pair of women. "You took a hard hit to the back of your head. Make sure there ain't a concussion or nothing."

Greer rose an eyebrow to the man, but looked to Patsy, who also gave the man a strange look. "I think you should go. Bobbi and I can finish these guys off." Patsy gave her a smile and Bobbi, further away gave her a thumbs-up.

Greer reluctantly followed the medic into the locker room. She was relieved when another nurse was present as well.

"Take a seat, Red." The brash man said.

"Do you think I'll be able to play again tonight?" Greer asked as she sat on the bench.

"Prolly not tonight. Dunno about your other games. Just depends on how you check out." He said roughly before nodding to the nurse. "You got some green eyes, don'tcha?"

Greer just decided to ignore him.

The nurse approached. "Do you mind undoing your ponytail?"

Greer tugged out the elastic band out of her long, black hair. She mussed it before straightening it out.

"There, now I can get a feel for what happened." The nurse gently grasped Greer's head. She looked to the other man, whom had just taken a position leaning against a locker and looking at her. Rather intently, and it unnerved Greer. She hissed in pain when the nurse's fingers touched the back of her head, where she hit the floor.

"Sorry hun, must be tender. Wooden floors aren't very forgiving, are they?" She asked.

"Not really…" Greer grumbled and started to pull her hair back up into her ponytail.

"How do you feel over all?" The nurse reached into a medical bag.

"My head is killing me, honestly. I hurt elsewhere, but that hurts the worst." Greer admitted.

"Here, I'll give you something for pain." The nurse pulled out a syringe. "This will be quicker than giving you ibuprofen." She tapped the tube.

"I… I guess…." Greer had never heard of something like this, but they were the medical personnel, not her.

The man finally moved and stepped over to Greer. He wrapped the belt around her upper arm, tightly. The nurse touched the bend in Greer's arms, looking for a vein. She smiled when she found one and drew the needle closer.

Greer didn't mind injections, but could never watch the needle go in. She turned away as she felt the familiar pain. She then felt plunger pushing the medication into her system. The nurse was right and immediately she began to feel the pain in her head begin to wane. After it was over, the nurse wrapped her arm in orange gauze.

The medics then dismissed her and allowed her to return to the bench. Greer watched the rest of the game and cheered on her best friend. Their team also charged the floor when Patsy made a winning 3-pointer.

After the celebration and the coaches' congratulations, the girls were ready to go home.

"So what did the medics say about your head? Are you missing a brain?" Patsy teased.

"Shut up!" Greer elbowed her friend as they drove in Patsy's car. "I've never seen a shorty like you make a 3-pointer."

"Touché. But what did they say?" Patsy asked more seriously.

Greer thought. "You know… They really didn't say anything about it. They both kind of looked me over then gave me a shot for pain. Maybe it was nothing and I'll be able to play in the tournament in two weeks."

"I guess… but an injection for pain? In your arm?" Patsy rose her red brow.

"It was new to me too, Pats." Greer shrugged as they pulled in to Greer's driveway.

"Your mom working tonight?" Patsy asked as they walked in the door.

"Yeah, swing shift, then the morning shift. I dunno if we will see her." Greer set her bag floor, then flopped on the couch.

"Well, that's why you have me here, right?" Patsy joined her on the couch.

"Well, the sleepovers on Fridays have been a tradition since we were nine." Greer grinned.

The two girls met in first grade after Greer moved to the neighborhood. Greer and Patsy met during recess, and they were fast friends.

"So what is on the menu tonight?" Patsy asked, "Getting hungry."

The two girls ordered a pizza and continued with their usual sleepover antics. Pillow forts never got old for them, even as a 16 and 17 year old. Once constructed, the both buried themselves inside with blankets. The spent the rest of the night, joking, watching a movie, listening to music, and finding videos on the internet to laugh at.

They fell asleep on top of each other, and on top of the now destroyed pillow fort thanks to an onset of a tickle fight. The usual fashion.

* * *

Greer stirred first and yawned awake. She looked to find Patsy rolled over on her back, and snoring loudly. Greer merely rolled her eyes and went to her bathroom. Her long raven hair was an askew disaster. She brushed it thoroughly and quickly tied it back.

The aroma of fresh coffee and cinnamon buns caught her attention as she headed downstairs. There was also a note from Catherine, Greer's mother addressed to both girls.

 _Morning sleepyheads. You two were sound asleep when I got home. I hope you don't mind that I left you girls some breakfast. Just remember to clean up after yourselves. I'll be home around three._

"Your mom is awesome." Patsy said as she joined Greer at the island in the kitchen.

"I know." Greer smiled happily.

Both girls began enjoying their breakfast. Though they were interrupted by the doorbell. Greer rolled her eyes and answered.

"Hey Red, how ya feelin'?" The blonde man answered with a wry grin.

Greer was in shock, it was the same man that was the medic from the basketball game.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Greer asked in irritation. "How did you get my address?"

"Aw, c'mon that's baby stuff to find out." He grinned again. He had crooked teeth. He was beginning to infuriate Greer. "So how you feelin'?" He asked again.

"To be blunt, you're beginning to piss me off." Greer growled.

"That's a shame, ya see, most girls like me."

"I don't see how, you're about as charming as a horse's ass." Greer spat. "Please leave."

"Nah, I don't feel like it. I wanna see you." He took a step into her doorway.

Greer had it. This pervert was trying to force his way into her home! She balled up her fist and swung.

She didn't feel an impact. She merely swung forward and through the man. Literally, _through_ him! "What the fuck…?" Greer whispered. She stepped back inside and slammed the door in his face.

"Greer, what the hell is going on?" Patsy stepped out of the kitchen.

"Pats, grab the phone and call the cops." Greer ordered, still looking at the door.

"But-"

They both heard a male chuckle before the man's head phased through the door. "I'm Ghost. Boo!"

Both girls screamed. Greer ran back to grab Patsy by the arm, they both rapidly ran up the stairs and into Greer's room, slamming the door behind them.

Ghost laughed loudly. "I'm gonna get a good payday. Maybe he'll even take the other girl and give me a bonus!" He wrung his hands.

"I don't think so Ghost."

* * *

"Ouch! Greer! What the hell!" Patsy pulled her arm away from Greer's grasp. She rubbed it, and found a series of scratches. "Damn, when this is done, you are getting a manicure!"

"But I-" Greer started. She looked down at her hands. Something was wrong. Her nails were long, and pointed. Greer always kept her nails short. Even had a terrible habit of chewing on them when she was nervous.

Her head began to ache, even worse than the night before. She held her head and tried to think. All the noises in her room. Patsy breathing heavily, the voice of a 911 operator on the other line, her watch on the nightstand across the room, ticking.

It was so overwhelming, nauseating. Greer doubled over and vomited.

"Greer! What's wrong?" Patsy called out.

Greer was clearly struggling. She panted, her vision blurred. Everything felt wrong and her head hurt worse. Her nose began to bleed. Her hands ached, then cracked. Her fingernails growing longer, curving into points and turning black. Her mane of jet black hair was turning a shade of brown, then from that brown, a shade of dark red.

Her eyes could only make out the shape of her changing hands. Seeing pads form on her fingertips and palms, her hands were becoming more paw-like, a mix of human hands and large paws. The color began to wash out and everything was black and white. Greer's back arched and gave a grotesque snapping sound as her frame grew taller and wider.

Greer's lean frame was quickly become more bulky as her muscles contracted and relaxed, building upon one another and become larger. She struggled to put her feet underneath her to stand, but her balance shifted as her feet elongated. Her toenails pointed out from her socks for a few moments, before tearing the toe-end of both socks. Greer's arches lengthened and all that remained of the unfortunate socks was the elastic clinging around her ankles. Pads also formed on the balls of her feet, and her toes.

The tank top was stretched past its limits around Greer's growing body. The fabric finally surrendered and tore away. Greer's front wasn't exposed long. At the base of her hairline, vibrant orange fur started to grow out then across her shoulders and across her face. From her chin, white fur began to grow out. Getting longer the lower it got on her chest, and longest where it covered her breasts. Black stripes also heavily decorated the fur. Deep V-like stripes appeared on her neck and chest. Even smaller stripes appeared on her face and under eyes. Her ears had migrated to the top of her head, sticking out from her now rusty-colored hair. They rotated back and pinned against her head, fur covering them black and white.

Greer bellowed out as everything hurt. Nothing felt right. Her face and nose felt like she took a direct kick from a horse and she tasted blood. Her teeth and tongue felt wrong. Everything shifted as her face contorted more into a muzzle. Her teeth reshaped within her strengthening jaws.

Patsy looked at Greer, or what was Greer. She stayed hunched over, panting. Only moving a limb, a toe, a finger. Flicking an ear. Her eyes stayed her shade of green, but looked unfocused, hazy. Patsy wasn't sure if Greer was even still conscious.

"….Greer?" Patsy spoke tentatively.

The tigress lifted her head to spoke her name. She struggled, but she managed to crawl over to whomever called her.

Patsy panicked for a few moments. She didn't know whether Greer was still…. _Greer_. She had just witnessed her best friend turn into some sort of hybrid-animal-thing. And now she was getting closer…

Greer heard where the sound came from. The scent she was following was familiar… so familiar… So tired. Her head nuzzled against the familiar scent, Patsy's stomach and the tigress gave a chuff as she finally laid down, wrapping an arm around Patsy's middle. Patsy seemed to relax slightly and rested a hand on Greer's head.

Greer's body immediately went rigid again. Black fur on her neck and shoulders bristled. Her bark arched again and she gritted her teeth and growled. Her claws dug into the carpet and into Patsy's side. In one motion, Greer lifted her head upright and gave out a loud roar in pain. A long tail tore Greer's shorts away. It was orange with black rings of various sizes that ended in a white tip.

Greer lost consciousness after that. Her grip went lax and her eyes finally closed. Patsy tried to relax for a few moments, but the sound of the doorknob turning caused Patsy to jump and grip Greer.

A tall woman wearing a uniform or sorts stepped through. She had a badge, but after everything that happened today, Patsy did know whom to trust anymore.

"Relax. I'm here to help you and your friend. My name's Madeline." She squatted down and began to study the slumbering Greer.

 **DC57: So let me know what you guys think. A lot of things from the previous story will be repeated. Just hopefully, in a better fashion. Leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Catherine turned the corner and was immediately shaken. There were five, six, seven black SUVs parked in front of her home. Troves of men and women in uniform were scattered on her lawn, some were even entering her home. She didn't recognize the uniform at all. She got closer to the blockade and was stopped by a helmeted woman.

"What the hell is going on?!" Catherine immediately asked.

"Ma'am, there was an incident-" The guard started.

"Incident? What kind of incident?! Where is my daughter?" Catherine demanded.

"Ma'am, I-"

"Where is my daughter?" Catherine repeated again through gritted teeth.

The guard struggled to answer the frustrated woman.

Catherine threw her car in park and stepped out. "If you can't give me any answers, I will find someone who can!" She brushed off anyone else that tried to stop her. She froze when she saw Patsy sitting in the back of a car, and she looked terrible.

"Patsy!" She went over to the young woman.

"Ms. Grant!" Patsy wasted no time in running to Catherine. She considered Catherine a second mother, and Catherine considered Patsy her second daughter.

"Patsy, please tell me what happened." Catherine asked Patsy.

"Ms. Grant…. I… Greer-" Patsy stammered.

"I think I should answer your questions, Ms. Grant." A tall red-headed woman approached, also wearing the same uniform as everyone else. "I'm Lieutenant General. Madeline Joyce."

"Where is my daughter? Where is Greer?" Catherine began to panic. No one was telling her where Greer was. Or even if she was still alive.

"Ms. Grant, please, sit down." Lt. Joyce sat her beside Patsy. "Greer is alive." She saw the relief wash over the mother. "But something has happened to her."

"What?"

* * *

Catherine was brought to some sort of compound. Lt. Joyce said they had taken Greer here for her own safety. And the safety of others they said. All Lt. Joyce said was that something had happened to Greer. Lt. Joyce stopped in front of a door.

"This cell is where we are keeping Greer until she wakes up." Lt. Joyce said as she opened the door. "We are using this adjacent room to observe her through a one-way mirror."

"Cell? But-" Catherine immediately stopped when she saw the window.

Inside of the cell, on a simple bedframe and mattress slept… _something._

"This… This is your daughter." Lt. Joyce said plainly. "This is Greer."

Catherine gave her a look of disbelief before looking back to the sleeping tigress. She couldn't make out any of her daughter's features. She still was unsure of what to believe. Catherine studied the tigress more.

Greer had slept on her side, slightly curled, which was typical of Greer. But the tail tip that occasionally twitched, and her ear that flicked distracted Catherine.

"I… But…" Catherine stammered. "How?"

"We were waiting for Greer to wake up and tell us. Patsy is here as well and has told us what she knows of what happened when… Greer changed." Lt. Joyce said, she looked to the tigress.

Greer groaned and rolled over onto her other side, her back now to the group of women. The bed creaked as she shifted.

Catherine sighed. "It is her. There, on her right shoulder and her arm." Despite the orange fur and black stripes in a distracting pattern, there were two very distinct stripes on her right shoulder and arm. Two auburn stripes in the midst of the black ones. One started on the right side of her chest, ran upwards, crossed over her collarbone and down to stop middle of her shoulder blade . The other ran diagonally around and across her upper arm.

Lt. Joyce rose an eyebrow, obviously out of the loop.

"They're scars. From..." Catherine trailed off then swallowed.

Lt. Joyce was intrigued but decided not to press the issue. She turned when she heard Greer stir again.

Greer curled her lip in pain as she started to wake up. Her entire body ached and nothing felt right. She certainly wasn't in her room. It smelled wrong. Every little sound pounded in her skull. She pushed herself to sit upright before opening her eyes. Everything was a blurred, undefined. All she could see was she was in sort of grey room.

A familiar perfume wafted by her nose when she heard the sound of a door opening and a few footsteps.

"M-mom?" Greer asked hoarsely. Her throat hurt, like she had screamed to loudly at a concert, or game the night before.

"Y-yes honey…" Catherine was amazed her daughter could still speak.

"We're not at home are we? W-where are we?" Greer rubbed her eyes with her padded palm

Greer's vision began to clear and focus. She looked more into the mirror across the room from her. There was a tiger staring back at her. She moved her head, and so did the tiger. Greer blinked her eyes, the tiger copied. Greer felt her anxiety begin to build before she looked down to her hands. Or what were her hands, they looked similar to paws with ebony claws.

Her body began to shake. Something brushed against her leg, looking down at her furred legs, her tail twitched.

"This…. This isn't real…" She muttered. Greer looked to see where the tail originated from, her backside. She ran her tongue in her mouth, her teeth her different, her tongue was rough. Greer felt her ears turn backwards.

"I… this isn't real." She repeated. Greer began to hyperventilate. "It can't be…" Her eyes raced around the room before she looked back at her clawed hands.

She could feel, see and hear everything clearly. Greer whimpered when she felt her tears run down her nose, and through her whiskers. There was one final test, she had to know if this was real and she wasn't dreaming… Or just having a nightmare.

"Greer! Stop!" Her mother pleaded.

Greer had taken one hand and clawed at her forearm, tearing away her fur, until she felt the pain and saw the blood seep out when she finally tore into her skin.

Catherine looked at her daughter. Despite her large size, Greer had managed to ball herself up on the floor, sobbing quietly. Her heart ached to see her daughter in so much emotional pain. Catherine moved to sit beside her.

The door opened again and Lt. Joyce stepped through.

"Greer, I'm Lieutenant General Madeline Joyce. US Meta Corps." Joyce introduced herself automatically. "Now, I know this is strange for you, but-"

Greer cut her off with a guttural growl as she pushed herself to stand on her feet shakily. "Strange? Strange?! You're goddamn right it's fucking strange, Lieutenant General of the Obvious!" Greer growled more and took a step towards Lt. Joyce, baring her teeth, though the lieutenant hardly flinched. When the tigress approached and towered over her, Joyce merely rose a brow.

"Greer… Please…" Catherine stopped her daughter by grabbing Greer's hand.

Greer froze, the fur on her neck and back bristled upright. She heard herself growling lowly and swallowed, backing away from Lt. Joyce with her eyes lowered. "Sorry…" She muttered before sitting on the bed, holding her head.

Lt. Joyce studied Greer a bit more. It was hard to believe that this large tigress was merely seventeen years old. "I can understand your frustration. This is a lot to take in." Lt. Joyce spoke.

"What happened to me?" Greer asked.

"What we can deduce is that you were genetically modified. It's obvious as to what kind of DNA was added to you." Lt. Joyce explained.

"Oh," was all Greer could manage, still looking herself over. "But… can I be modified back, or something?" She asked hopefully.

Lt. Joyce met those green eyes with her own. "We don't know." She sighed. "Frankly, there was so much added to your own, it seemed to 'overwrite' portions of your original code. It will take some time to research you, and how… or even if we can." She felt a bit sorry for Greer after that explanation.

Greer swallowed hard, as though she were swallowing all the information Lt. Joyce just gave her, then hung her head low.

"How could this happen to Greer? To anyone?" Catherine asked, resting her hand on Greer's shoulder for reassurance.

"There are plenty of methods for altering genetics. Most common is that a serum of the altering material is injected. Though this method-" Lt. Joyce started.

Greer growled lowly. "That shot for pain…"

"Huh?" both Catherine and the lieutenant questioned.

"The game…. Yesterday night. Karla Sorfen charged me hard and I fell backwards. I smacked my head on the hardwood and was out for a few minutes. The medic, that Ghost guy, took me into the locker room where he, and some other woman gave me medicine for the headache. It was a shot in my arm. I thought it was strange but…. I'm so stupid for letting them do that!" Greer roared.

Her mother placed both her hands on Greer's shoulders. "You didn't know… How could you have known… I should have been at your game, and not working. I could have-"

"Neither one of you should blame yourselves." Lt. Joyce interrupted. "Whomever hired Ghost must have paid him well. He can be quite cunning… when he manages to use all his brain. You said there was another woman? What did she look like?"

"Tall, fair skin. Long black hair that was pulled back. She also had grey eyes. Her face was really pretty as well." Greer tried to remember what she looked like.

"Hmm… That doesn't sound like any of his usual accomplices. Must be someone new he recruited." Joyce rubbed her chin in thought.

A few moments of silence passed. "Where's Patsy?" Greer finally asked.

Lt. Joyce inhaled to speak, but Catherine answered first. "She's here. She's been waiting to see you." She nodded her head towards the one-way mirror.

"Waiting…. On me?" Greer was stunned that Patsy even stuck around, she looked to the mirror.

Lt. Joyce gave Catherine a stern glare. Catherine only returned it. "Lt. Joyce, my daughter would like to see her friend."

"I don't think-"

"Lt. Joyce," Catherine addressed her in a tone that Greer recognized when her mother was pissed. Greer was always glad when she wasn't on the receiving end of it. Catherine stood up and looked Joyce in the eyes. "My daughter has just been through what I would call a very trying ordeal. All she wants to do is see her friend, who has been with Greer through some terrible and rough times. This being included. I think would be best for both of them to see each other. So I suggest, we bring Greer something she can wear and allow Patsy in here to see her."

Lt. Joyce held her gaze with the mother after she finished. She finally sighed and threw her arms up in defeat. "Alright."

Catherine smiled to Greer. "Wait here, I'll be back with something for you to put on."

Greer waited a few minutes before standing and walking over to the mirror. Looking at herself more, she was no longer her lean, athletic self. She still looked athletic, but built. She looked more like one of the female gladiators on some shows she watched when bored.

Her ear turned to the door opening again. "Here hun. All they could give me in your size were some clothes saved for…. Inmates." She offered the black and white clothing.

"Great, more stripes." She attempted at a joke and gave a half-smile to try and ease the awkward tension in the air.

Catherine smiled. "You okay sweetie?"

Greer tugged her red hair out from under the shirt. "As okay as some sort of teenage tiger-monstrosity can be, I suppose." She muttered.

"Stop that." Catherine said. "We'll figure something out." She wrapped her arms around Greer in a hug. She felt Greer sigh heavily.

Greer muttered. She had stuck her tail down one of her pant legs. "This is uncomfortable… and stupid." Greer pouted.

"Oh hun…" Catherine sighed. "Just tear a hole where you need it."

Greer sighed and altered the pants the best she could with her claws before slipping them on again. Her tail being free did feel better. "Mom, are you okay?" Greer asked quietly, watching her mother make the bed Greer had slept on.

"I'm fine. I'm mostly worried about you." She fluffed the pillow.

"No Mom, are you okay? With me? Like this?" Greer asked.

"Yes, honey. You're my daughter. I couldn't bear it if you were taken from me too." She wrapped her arms around Greer again.

Greer sighed, reminded of her father's death by her mother's answer. She hugged her mother again, not wanting to talk any more about it. The two stood embraced for a while.

"I'll go get Patsy." Catherine said softly and stood to give Greer a kiss on the cheek. Greer sighed and sat on the bed.

When her mother left, the door opened again. She smelled Patsy before she entered. That was going to take some getting used to.

Patsy Walker's blue eyes went wide when she saw Greer again. Upright, not transforming, and making horrible noises.

"Hey." Greer started, but didn't make eye contact.

"…Hey." Patsy answered. "...Wow. What a day huh?"

"… Yeah."

Patsy got closer to Greer. "Greer?"

Greer lifted her head, met Patsy's eyes briefly before looking away.

"Greer? What's wrong? Patsy looked concerned. She saw the bloodstain on Greer's forearm. "Are you hurt?"

"Huh? Oh, no… I did that." She mussed the fur to see a the wound was already smaller,

"You did that?" Patsy sat beside her furry friend, alarmed that Greer would harm herself. She hadn't done so in years. "Why?"

"It was too much. I thought… I thought maybe I was still dreaming." Greer admitted. "Maybe I was hoping I still was…" She sighed.

Greer gasped and felt herself bristle when Patsy suddenly hugged her. "Don't do that ever again. You promised me before."

"A-alright…" Greer agreed. She looked to her arm again where her self-inflicted incision was. It had fully closed up now, all that was left was the bloodstain on the white side of her arm. Looking down to Patsy who still was holding tightly to her.

"…You're soft, you know." Patsy finally said.

Greer blinked. "Thanks?"

Patsy giggled and finally loosened her grip. "So… What did… what did it feel like?"

Greer sighed. "It hurt. It hurt like hell. I think… I think it hurt more that… you were there. To see me turn into this…"

"I was scared. Incredibly scared. That guy in the house. And you…. You know… Changing." Patsy admitted. "You were making some unnerving noises. It also sounded like bones breaking, they probably were…"

Greer flattened her ears.

"But," Patsy continued, "After you stopped for a minute, before your tail grew out. I said your name. You came over and laid on me. Nuzzled me even. You sometimes do that to me during our sleepovers." Patsy giggled. "So, I kinda knew that despite what just happened, you were still _you_."

Greer felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She didn't know if her blush could be seen, but she certainly felt it. "Oh…"

"So… what do you feel like now?" Patsy asked. "Not that I'm checking you out, but you look amazing."

Greer felt her blush get more intense. "I… It's certainly a lot to adjust to. I can smell a lot more. I can see things more accurately. Sounds are louder. I feel stronger. I don't know about faster." She explained, flexing her clawed fingers, her claws moved slightly, but never fully retracted.

Greer rested her back against the wall and yawned. Feeling content for the first time in the past 24 hours.

Catherine and Lt. Joyce watched the exchange from the other side of the mirror.

"Lieutenant General, what do you plan on doing with my daughter?" Catherine asked in hushed tones.

 **DC57: So... things are a bit darker this time around. I know that it is slow-going, but I hope it will pay off in the long run. Thank goodness for a holiday weekend so I can work more on my story. And take a break to work on my house... occasionally. Let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3

Patsy was taken back to her family. Lt. Joyce made Patsy swear not to breathe a word of Greer's change and what happened. Not even to her own family.

Catherine had brought Greer her dinner and eaten with her. Lt. Joyce had moved Greer into a larger containment unit. A larger bed was given to her and her new room had a personal bathroom. There was a small bookshelf that was filling up with books and a small table with two chairs area for when Catherine brought Greer meals from home.

Greer hugged her mom, and watched her leave. Catherine always looked in on her daughter before leaving for the night through another one-way mirror. Greer sat on her bed and read the back of the book her mother bought her, set it aside and started pacing again. A small rut had formed in the carpet where Greer repeatedly walked.

Catherine heard the door of the observation room and saw Madeline enter.

"Lieutenant, how long do you intend on keeping my daughter here?" Catherine asked in quiet tones. "She's been here for six weeks."

"Ms. Grant, I have explained to you that we need further information on her. We need to ensure that she isn't a danger to herself, or others. Her strength alone is incredible. We need to see what else she is capable of." Lt. Joyce answered.

"How? By slowly driving her insane?" Catherine rose her voice. "Look at her! She's not some anima-" Catherine covered her mouth to stop herself from finishing that sentence. "You can't do this to her. She is still a teenage girl." She finished quietly as Greer had completed another lap around her room.

"Ms. Grant, I know that this is hard for you, but we need perform more tests on Greer. You know she lifted two tons yesterday. Ms. Grant, she is a meta now, and she needs to be carefully observed."

Catherine didn't respond, but merely watched Greer some more. Greer's new pacing habit had started a few days after they moved her. She could go for hours. There was one incident were Greer walked until she exhausted herself and fell asleep on the floor. The more Greer paced, the more troubled Catherine became about it. Greer always looked deep in thought when she did so, but she never would tell her mom what was on her mind.

Lt. Joyce looked to the mother, then her daughter. Madeline exhaled. "I'll make arrangements for her discharge. She'll be released to your custody, but there will be some terms and conditions that she and you will need to accept and abide by."

Catherine smiled widely. "Anything, Lt. Joyce, anything to get her out of there."

* * *

Greer stepped in her home for the first time in weeks. Since this whole mess had occurred. Greer inhaled deeply and sighed, she was happy to be back where it smelled familiar, but it was bittersweet.

"Are you sure we have to move?" Greer asked. She watched her mom start folding together empty boxes so they could begin packing.

"I couldn't let you stay there Greer. You were miserable, weren't you?" Catherine explained.

Greer joined her mother on the floor, attempting to carefully fold the boxes and not tear them. "Yeah… I was." She exhaled. "I was starting to feel trapped… like a an..." Greer swallowed. "well… you know."

Greer had stood and walked over to the mantle, grabbing a few trinkets and handing them to her mother to wrap and pack. Greer stopped when she came to a frame holding picture of her and her father. She was twelve in that picture. It was a professional photo, showing Greer in a green dress, long black hair. Her father was in his formal police uniform.

It was a year later that her father was killed.

Catherine noticed that Greer had stopped and what the tigress was looking at with her ears folded back. She stood and walked over to her daughter, she slowly removed the photo from the clawed hand.

"Lt. Joyce also wants you enrolled in the high school in Cresskill." Catherine said softy.

Greer blinked back into the present. "School? I… wait… How?" She stammered.

"You know the lieutenant probably has some way you can go. I want you back in school, Greer." Catherine held her hand for a few minutes. "Why don't you take a couple boxes into the kitchen and start packing the dishes, pots and pans. Alright?"

"Okay, mom."

* * *

Greer hated moving. What was worse was that they had to load everything at night into the moving truck. So that no one could see Greer. Her strength did come in handy when moving the sectional and other heavy pieces of furniture.

Patsy was allowed to come over and say goodbye to Greer and Catherine. Lt. Joyce also explained that they could contact one another, e-mail, phone, etc. Patsy also could come visit, but not vice versa. It was too much of a risk for Patsy's family to learn about Greer's change, and possibly forbid the girls from seeing each other again.

Cresskill, as Lt. Joyce explained, was the US Meta Corps destination for a lot of discovered meta humans. They sent metas there specifically so they could all be in one section of the country, and easier to monitor. Greer now included. Her position could be tracked by the image inducer she would wear. The image inducer would give her a human-like appearance so that she could attend school as well.

Rules were also explained. Greer could not reveal that she was a meta. Along with being a preferred destination for metas, it was also still a normal town with normal people. Greer also couldn't know who else was a meta within the town.

The inducer only projected the image of her human form. It did not cover her fur. If people were to touch her arms, legs, or even her face, they would feel her. So she had to refrain from touching anyone, or allow anyone to touch her. Greer would have wear enough clothes to cover her body to avoid anyone feeling her fur.

Greer rode in the back of their van packed full of her things and clothing. It also had the windows tinted darkly so Greer couldn't be seen. She had stretched out completely in the back seat and was toying with the image inducer.

The entire move took seventeen hours. Catherine and the Meta Corps men that were moving elected to stop for the night and rent hotel rooms.

"We're here…" Catherine nudged the furred shoulder. "Better try that image inducer out."

"Alright… They better not have made me look stupid." Greer had chosen not to be a part of the image programming. A decision she was currently regretting at this very moment.

Greer fastened it around her wide wrist and tapped the screen with a claw. The inducer itself resembled a smart watch with a black band. Greer heard a buzzing and watched as the image began to overlap her form and pale skin covered her striped arms.

Greer looked to her mother, "How's it look?"

Catherine smiled. "You look great honey." She pulled out a compact mirror for Greer.

The image projected could not reduce her height or her overall musculature, but otherwise she did look a lot like her daughter originally. Except with red hair.

"Honey…. Your…." Catherine pointed at her tail. It would still be visible if it wasn't kept close to her body.

"Oh…" She wrapped it closely around one leg and it was overlapped by the hologram.

"Now let's go get checked in for the night."

The girls wheeled in their overnight bags. It was a nice hotel with a restaurant downstairs. US Meta Corps were paying for Greer's relocation, and any costs incurred. That included their overnight and meals. Greer flopped on the bed, glad she was out of the car for a while.

"Are you hungry?" Catherine asked.

"Starving." Greer answered, though her face was still buried in a pillow.

"You're a goof. Let's go eat at that restaurant downstairs." Catherine sat on Greer's bed, rubbing her furred back.

"…Are you sure?" Greer pushed herself upright to sit.

"Greer, you can still do normal things you know." Catherine started.

"I know… I am just nervous about someone touching me. Someone that isn't you, you know? They'll…" Greer worried.

"Stop that." Catherine said and held her hand. It was odd to see a human hand, but feel the paws. "You'll be fine. I think that-"

Greer's stomach growled loudly, shutting both of them up. Greer felt her ears flatten and blood rise to her cheeks. Catherine merely laughed. "We're going to eat. C'mon hon."

Catherine tugged her daughter down the stairs. Greer became more willing once she smelled the food. Especially the steak…

* * *

Catherine stirred awake when she heard Greer growling. She sat up and turned on the light between the two beds. Catherine watched as Greer's immense body looked like she was running, on all fours. Greer's lip curled as she growled again at nothing. Her eyes were tightly shut. Greer wasn't saying anything as she continued to dream.

Catherine was unsure of whether to wake Greer. She heard a loud snarl. The mother sat up and took a few steps towards Greer. She decided she at least was going to try and nudge her daughter. Greer suddenly hugged the pillow tightly, and nuzzled into it. She made a low groan in her throat as she seemed to settle down. Her ear flicked and she resumed a more peaceful slumber.

The mother sighed in relief as the troubling dream came to an end, but she worried what Greer could possibly dream about to unnerve her.

* * *

Both the women stood in awe of their new home. It was newer than their former home and had two more bedrooms and an extra bathroom. There was also a, eight-foot privacy fence around the large back yard and the neighboring homes were one-story homes. Greer would be able to walk in the back unseen and without her image inducer. The pool was kept in a screened-in structure. Blinds could be closed within the structure as well for additional privacy.

"How… did they do this?" Greer asked.

"I don't know honey, Lt. Joyce said that everything would be taken care of for our location. I don't know how we will afford all this…" Catherine began to worry.

"You won't need to worry about the house payments and a few other things. The Corps will be paying for those and monthly bills such as electricity, gas, and water will be in your name, but the Corps will be paying for it. Anything phones, cellphones, internet, TV, etc, will be on you." Lt. Joyce surprised both women by walking up behind them. They also didn't recognize her without her trademark bulletproof vest and uniform. Instead she wore jeans and t-shirt.

"Lt. Joyce… I… I don't know what to say." Catherine started. "It's a very lovely home and-"

Lt. Joyce rose a hand to quiet her. "So long as you and Greer abide by the rules we spoke of, we won't have a problem. Let's get you inside and unpacked." She gave them a rare smile.

Lt. Joyce, Catherine and Greer brought in all the boxes. The other movers brought in the heavier furniture.

"Greer, your bedroom is the red one upstairs. It has a bathroom attached." Lt. Joyce helped unpack a box of decorations and lamps in the living room.

Greer wasted no time in darting upstairs with her duffel bag of clothes. Both Madeline and Joyce chuckled. "She is trying to keep positive, though I know she is nervous about school on Monday."

"Changing schools is never easy for anyone. I was in the military, and we moved often." Lt. Joyce explained. She began removing newspaper from around a photo.

It was the same photo of a young Greer and her father. Lt. Joyce hadn't seen what Greer looked like before her change. "…Your husband?" Lt. Joyce asked quietly. The man was handsome with closely-clipped blonde hair, and the same color green eyes that Greer had.

"Yes, that's Greg. Greer's father." Catherine said, almost morosely.

Lt. Joyce looked between the photo and Catherine. "I am sorry for…"

"It was four years ago. Greer was with him when it happened." Catherine started.

Madeline's eyes widened. "I-"

Greer's voice echoed from the upstairs. "I… don't mean to interrupt, but I don't see a red room up here." Greer leaned on the banister.

"It's up there and to the left." Lt. Joyce replied, it has the bathroom with the shower and tub in it.

"That room isn't red, it's a fugly mustard yellow!" Greer's tail flicked in irritation.

"Mustard? What the…." Lt. Joyce said and headed upstairs with Catherine behind her.

Catherine flicked on the lights and the ceiling fan began to whirr to life. "Honey, this room _is_ red…"

Greer's ears lowered. "Oh… But…"

"Greer, what colors do you see when you look at yourself?" Lt. Joyce asked curiously.

"Yellow-ish and black." Greer looked at her arms.

"And my hair?

"Dark grey?" Greer answered.

"You're colorblind." Lt. Joyce stated after checking a lock of her own red hair, to ensure she hadn't gone grey. "You weren't before, were you?"

"N-no…" Greer sat down on the carpet. "I thought… maybe it was only temporary. When everything first started, when… I changed, everything was black and white before I lost consciousness. Even for a couple days afterwards, all I could see was black and white. Some color came back when I was moved in to the larger room at the compound. I thought… maybe the rest would come back eventually." She admitted. "But…" She drew a circle in the carpet with a claw. "That was a month ago."

"I see… I did read somewhere were felines were colorblind. I guess this proves it." Lt. Joyce rubbed her chin, before checking her watch. "If you'll excuse me, I should be going."

The other movers moved the remaining furniture to their designated rooms and places. Beds were assembled and made before both women decided to call it a night. Two large pizzas were delivered later for dinner.

"I think I'm going to call it a night, Mom." Greer said after throwing away her paper plate and headed upstairs. She changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, like she usually slept in. She looked around the room before sitting on the bed. Pulling a box up to her feet, she dug out her and Patsy's photo album.

Greer stretched out on her bed and looked at the old photos of their adventures. She jumped when she heard her mother knock on the door frame.

"Sorry, hun." Catherine stepped in and sat beside her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Greer turned another page.

Catherine watched her daughter some more before standing. "Don't stay up too late. We still need to unpack a lot, and your first day at Cresskill High is on Monday." She kissed her forehead before stepping towards the door.

"Night Greer." Catherine said.

"G'night Mom." She gave her mom a smile.

 **DC57: Hooray.**


	4. Chapter 4

Greer fidgeted all the way in the car. It was her first day back to school since this chaos started. She had worn a camisole with a jacket over and long jeans. Because of her digit grade feet, she was unable to wear shoes. Lt. Joyce guided her over the phone how to get inducer to project shoes.

"Combat boots. Of course." Greer complained.

She shrunk lower in her seat the closer they got to Cresskill high.

"C'mon Greer, it will be just fine." Catherine tried to reassure her daughter.

Greer muttered and looked one more time at herself in the mirror. Afraid that something striped was showing.

The car stopped in front of the school. "Alright Greer, do I need to get a crowbar and pry you out of that seat?"

"Maybe." Her daughter retorted.

Catherine scowled and flicked one of Greer's unseen ears. Catherine had discovered that was a bit more effective in emphasizing her point.

"Ow…." Greer pouted as her image appeared to rub the top of her head.

"Go on, you'll be fine. I also have to start work today. Lt. Joyce put my name forward in a close by manufacturing plant. So I'll be home after you."

Greer continued to grumble, but she finally opened the door to step out.

"That's my girl." She kissed her furred cheek, "Try and have a good day."

"Yeah."

"And no eating anyone."

"Mom!"

Catherine left and Greer stood there for a few moments. Their new home was close by and they had planned on Greer walking back and forth from school. Greer's fur prickled again as she felt eyes on her. She sighed and knew she stood out by looking like some sort of Amazon queen. She muttered a few choice curses before heading towards the door.

* * *

Greer watched the girls go up and down the court with a heavy heart. She wished so badly that she could join them. It was a 3-on-3 pick-up game that started up after school in the gym.

There was one girl that reminded her of Patsy. Quick, agile and good at handling the ball, but blonde. She heard the other girls call her Carol, and she looked like she was having fun. Greer decided to stay and watch just a little longer.

She watched her run, dodge, pass. Greer sighed wistfully as she began to remember some of her favorite moments with Patsy.

"Look out!"

The call caught Greer's attention. The ball had gone astray and was heading in her direction. Acting on instinct, Greer planted herself and caught the ball with both her hands firmly.

"Nice catch," the Carol girl complimented Greer. "Pass it back?"

"Uhh… sure." Greer did so, firmly.

Carol smiled as she caught it. "You wanna join in?"

Greer was taken by surprise. "Ye… No. I can't."

Carol rose a brow. "You sure? You look like you do." The other players got tired of waiting and called for Carol to return to the game. "I better go, but my name's Carol."

"Greer." Greer picked up her bag. "Nice meeting you."

"Likewise," Carol grinned.

She stopped for a moment. _What's that?_ Greer's keen nose picked up a different smell. It wasn't like anything she had smelled before. The scent also disappeared when Carol went back to her game.

Greer walked home in quiet thought. Their new home was about a 20 minute walk from school. She unlocked her door and called to her mom. "I'm home."

"Greer! I didn't expect to beat you home. What kept you?" Catherine tried not to seem too worried.

"I stopped to watch a basketball game in the gym." Greer offloaded her bag and sat on the couch for a minute. "A girl talked to me though."

Catherine joined her on the couch. "Oh? You get her name?"

"Carol. She wanted me to play in the game, but I told her I couldn't." Greer recanted. "She seemed nice." Greer's image inducer then chirped with a low battery warning. She looked to her mother who also heard it.

"I'll get the blinds, sweetie." Catherine smiled and stood.

She felt a pang as her tail was getting very cramped from being wrapped around her leg all day. She let it go freely as she trailed upstairs. Greer flipped the light on and started to work on the wristband to her inducer.

As soon as she unfastened it from her wrist, the image around her faded and her striped form was revealed. Sitting on her bed, she leaned over and plugged the inducer into the charging station on her nightstand. Greer then mussed her shoulder-length, red hair. They had clipped the unruly mane into a more manageable, shorter length for her. It was bad enough being covered in fur.

Catherine called up the stairs. "Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes."

* * *

"Hey, there's the new girl." Janet Van Dyne said as she sat down with her tray of food. "Do you think she's like us?"

"Janet, you can't assume that every new person in school is like us." Jennifer Walters rolled her eyes.

"I know, but she just looks so…."

"So, she probably just enjoys staying in shape." Carol Danvers joined the group. "Something you could look into, Bug."

"Stop calling me that!" Janet pouted.

Carol smirked, she liked pushing Janet's buttons. She looked back over to the red headed woman. "She looks lonely."

"Indeed she does," Namora agreed. "But I agree with Janet, there is something unusual about her." Namora studied her a bit more. "Perhaps I should look into her."

" _Perhaps_ you should just leave her alone." Carol emphasized. "Greer seems nice and maybe she just is nervous about being in a new school. Cut her some slack and leave her alone."

Namora turned away to look more at Greer.

* * *

Greer stuffed a book in her bag from her locker. Greer nearly jumped a mile high when she felt the touch on her jacket and immediately turned around, her lip curled out of instinct.

"Whoa, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Carol smiled back, although nervously.

Greer somewhat relaxed, though her chest still pounded. "Y-yeah… I… I don't like being touched."

"Oh… I'm sorry." Carol apologized again. "So, do you play basketball? You looked pretty interested yesterday and your pass was strong."

"I… I used to." Greer swallowed.

"Used to? Something happen?" Carol continued.

 _God she really is like Patsy._ Greer thought and inhaled. _That smell… Dammit! Stop smelling people, brain it's fucking weird!_ Greer mentally slapped herself. "I took a bad fall during a game and tore up my rotator cuff real good." She shut her locker. "Doc said I shouldn't play."

"Man, that sucks. I bet you were a perfect player." Carol touched her own shoulder out of sympathy. "They can't fix it?"

"…No." Greer said after hesitating. "I had a lot of help playing with my friend. I was a post." She started. "I loved playing…"

Carol felt sorry for her. She loved basketball as well, she thought for a moment. Greer looked like she could use a friend. Carol honestly wanted to give her a hug, but if she didn't like being touched…

"Well…. Can you still play HORSE?" Carol asked after a few moments.

Greer studied Carol for a few moments. Her unseen ears cocked crooked. Maybe she was just being friendly, and Greer really wanted someone to call a friend here.

"Yeah… I can still play HORSE." Greer finally gave Carol a smile.

* * *

"You sure you can't play?" Carol said as Greer passed the ball back to her.

"You're just mad because you're up to R." Greer smiled again.

This was the most relaxed Greer had felt for some time. The most normal she had felt…

Carol pouted and bounced the ball a few times before taking the shot. Another ball that was launched, knocked hers out.

"Hey!" She first looked to Greer, who was still holding her ball, then in the direction of where the other ball came from. "Namora? What the hell are you doing here?"

Greer looked between the two. "Friend of yours?"

Carol grumbled. "Barely."

"Carol and I don't see eye-to-eye on some things." Namora started.

"Try a lot of things, Princess." Carol retorted. Looking to Greer, "Greer, this is Namora. She's an actual princess of Greece or something." She poorly introduced the two. "Namora, Greer."

Namora offered her hand out to Greer. The other woman only looked at her nervously. Namora's wry grin only grew wider.

"So, you know Carol has a talent for basketball." Namora started as she picked up one of the balls.

Carol narrowed her eyes. "Namora, what are you doing…?"

"I thought I could see if Greer had any unique talents."

"Namora…" Carol warned.

"Well, Greer, do you?"

Greer stammered, "I-I… n-no…" She was beginning to feel scared of Namora. What if she was with whomever sent Ghost after her.

"Oh, come now…." Namora took a step closer.

Carol moved between the two women. "Namora, knock it off. Leave her alone."

"You have to be curious yourself, Carol."

"I'm not! I will fight you over this, Princess." Carol threatened.

Greer had no idea what they were talking about now. While the smaller Carol was keeping herself between Namora and Greer, Greer was eying a door.

Namora laughed almost sinisterly. "You think you'll beat me?"

Carol cracked a knuckle with her own grin. "You know, I don't know, but I really, _really_ have been wanting to fucking deck you for a while." Carol swung.

Namora easily blocked it with a hand before returning another swing to Carol's solar plexus with the opposite fist. The blow sent Carol flying. Literally flying, like a bus had hit her. She landed hard on the hardwood.

Greer swallowed. Namora had to be after her. She felt her fur prickle underneath her clothing as Namora got closer to her. Before Namora could speak, a blast of sorts smacked Namora in the face. Greer looked to the origin of it, and it was Carol. Carol had picked herself up and her fists were glowing with energy.

"Let's try this again." Carol launched herself at Namora. She flew again, but this time under her own power.

That was enough for Greer. She took the opportunity to grab her bag and bolt.

The door slamming caught Carol's attention after she slugged Namora again. She looked around and saw that Greer had made herself scarce.

"Oh…. Fuck…." Carol muttered.

* * *

Greer hadn't run that fast in sometime. All the other homes and scenery whizzed by, she burst through her front door and then slammed it behind her.

"Greer! What on earth!" Catherine was startled that again, her daughter was again tardy coming home. "Where were you?!"

"I… I stayed after because Carol wanted to shoot around and play HORSE. We were fine, and talking. Th-then this other girl, Namora, who is a princess of Greece or something came in and started being weird. She started asking if I had any talents or something. Carol didn't like her and was keeping her away from me." Greer swallowed.

Catherine tried to process all the information Greer was spouting off.

"Then Carol hit that Namora bitch first. But she didn't even flinch, she blocked it. Then she hit Carol back."

"Greer! Language!"

Greer ignored her mother's scolding and continued, "Carol went flying. Across the gym. Like if a bus had hit her. Then when she got up she hit Namora…. With some sort of energy blast from her hands. Mom, I think they're both metas…"

Catherine sorted out everything, or at least most of it. "Well… Lt. Joyce did say they send metas here. But you aren't supposed to know who is and isn't. I should call her."

"No!" Greer stopped her mother. "I don't want to get Carol in trouble. I think she was protecting me from Namora."

Catherine looked at her daughter then sighed. "Alright. Maybe you should relax a bit you're a bit…. Fluffy."

Greer's ears cocked, "Fluffy?" She then caught sight of her tail that had become free of her leg, visible, and completely bushed out "Oh. Great. That's useful…" Greer grumbled. She mussed her hair for a bit. "I'm gonna take a shower."

* * *

Carol felt terrible. She toyed with the school-issued mashed potatoes with a fork.

"Carol, I've never seen you look so down. What happened?" Jennifer Walters joined her.

"I… was talking to Greer. We were playing a game after school. Then…"

Namora sat down, conspicuously wearing a pair of fashion-forward sunglasses.

"Then _she_ came." Carol snarled. "Namora ruined everything!"

Janet had approached with her own tray, hearing the argument. She looked to Jennifer for help.

" _She_ had to butt in. Just because she _had_ to know." Carol started to tremble with her building rage. "I'm fucking done." With that, Carol picked up her tray and left.

"Namora, what the hell did you do?" Janet asked.

"I… may have interrupted their little game." Namora started. "That woman, Greer, I just know-"

"No you don't know and you should have harassed either of them. What if Greer is normal?" Jennifer reprimanded Namora.

"I realize that now… but now I fear that Greer knows about Carol's and myself's abilities." Namora explained.

"What the hell Namora!" Jennifer yelled. "What were you thinking? We're allowed to attend school as long as we don't use our abilities. _We_ don't have diplomatic immunity like you." Jennifer explained, trying to keep herself calm. "They could take Carol away if this gets back to Lt. Joyce."

* * *

Carol slammed her locker at the end of the day. _Goddamn Namora!_ She punched her locker.

"Hey."

Carol was startled by the voice. She turned around, to be faced with Greer looming over her. "I…."

"I want another game. Now." Greer said coolly, folding her arms across her chest. _There's that scent again._

Carol never felt so small. She could be short-tempered at times. She also stood up for herself against bullies, no matter their size. But now Carol was genuinely scared.

"I…" Carol attempted again. _What if she called someone…_ Carol had met the US Meta Corp. They also gave her a warning about using her abilities. _They could take me away._

Greer seemed to read Carol, and what she was thinking. "Just you and me. No one else."

 _Does she mean she didn't tell anyone?_ Carol swallowed, but looked to Greer. While she looked incredibly pissed, something about her told Carol she could trust her. The blonde finally exhaled and nodded.

Both women walked to the gymnasium. Greer set her bag down beside the ball rack.

"Greer, I-" She was cut off by the basketball being passed to her.

"I'll go first." Greer took a shot from outside the arc, making it.

Carol's shot fell short. Greer passed the ball back. "H" She said aloud towards Carol.

Several more shots were made and missed. The tension in the air was thick. Greer didn't help ease it by being incredibly stoic and calling out the letters. Carol could make the shorter shots within the paint and inside the arc. Carol was more of a ball-mover. She didn't have to shoot if she didn't have to. Greer was the opposite, she could make shots, especially the long-distance ones if the ball was passed to her. Carol reminded Greer so much of Patsy….

Finally, "You have an 'S'" Greer warned. She set up at the foul line. An easy swish was heard.

Carol swallowed and moved to take her shot.

"Wait," Greer interrupted.

Carol halted.

"If you miss this shot, I want you to tell me everything about what I saw yesterday. You have my word I'm not going to tell anyone." Greer assured. "If you make it, I'll drop the entire subject and leave you alone." Something about the way Greer said the last part, meant she really would just stop talking and associating with her.

Foul-line shots were not Carol's greatest. She tried to avoid getting fouled on at all costs by moving the ball, then passing it, before another player could foul on her. Carol also didn't like the idea of Greer knowing about her, and not being her friend.

Carol inhaled, then exhaled deeply. No matter the outcome, she had to trust Greer either way. She took the shot. The ball hit the top of the rim, before falling into the basket.

"Well," Greer spoke after a minute. "That's, that." Greer felt sad that Carol actually made the shot, but she was a woman of her word, as her father taught her to be. She wouldn't discuss what she saw. Greer set her ball back on the rack and moved to grab her bag. Carol was the closest person she could have called a friend in Cresskill. Now she would be alone again.

Carol was shocked that she made the shot. She heard Greer speak, then turn away to grab her bag. The tall woman did look sad about it though. Carol tried to think, to put herself in Greer's shoes. A new student, finally gets someone to talk to. Then it turns out that _that_ potential new friend was a meta human with freakish powers.

"I'll see you around, Carol." Greer said sullenly as she headed to the door.

Carol sighed and bit her lip, "Greer, wait. I'll tell you."

 **DC57: "Fluffy" is the best word ever. Especially if you can use it to describe Greer in any situation. I also want to thank MrsDalek, KJAX89, and chesirecat9116 for reviewing and following. I look forward to writing more for you guys! Thank you! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Greer watched Carol pace back and forth inside the gym.

"I… I don't know where to begin." She stated nervously.

"The beginning usually helps." Greer remarked.

Carol sat beside Greer. "I… A year ago, two of friends and I were messing around my back yard at night. We were just goofing off. Later, we saw… something. It looked like a shooting star at first, but it got closer. It was a meteorite and it crashed into a field behind my house. My friends and I started running. We wanted to see it, and you know, call dibs and whatever." Carol heaved a sigh. "It wasn't a meteorite. It was some capsule thing with an alien guy inside. It had a gun on the outside and it fired."

Carol swallowed, "It fired at me, at my friends. The… the blasts hit my friends. F-fried them." Carol shuddered as she relived the gruesome imagery. "They were gone. I was left. I was scared stiff, and then the pod opened. Inside was some guy, kinda looked human, but I dunno. He started talking at me in alien gibberish. I guess he was hurt or bleeding purple stuff, he looked scared too, but I couldn't…." Carol started to lose her composure. "I couldn't understand him. He pulled a blaster or a gun or whatever and pointed it at me. He blasted me. It hurt. God, it hurt. I thought he was killing me." Carol shivered.

Carol wiped her eyes and took a moment to collect herself.

"I woke up a while later, pretty much naked, burned badly all over, and in the middle of a fucking cornfield with a bunch of people surrounding me. They were with something called the US Meta Corps. I guess they were government people that were tracking the meteorite. The alien guy apparently died after shooting me, and the pod thingy had a self-destruct function. They scooped me out of there before it went off."

"I guess my burns healed pretty quickly, and that freaked them out." She scratched her head. "They said now my DNA is really messed up. It's partly mine, then partly something else. The scientists said it was alien. So… I guess I'm half alien now or something. I have… the powers you saw. I can fly, shoot blasts… I picked up one of their trucks with my hands."

"They said I was a meta human now. They made my family move here. The Corps keep an eye on me here. I'm not supposed to use my powers at all. I'm also not supposed to tell anyone. If I do, they may keep me inside a cell again."

Greer tried to absorb everything Carol just told her. It sound so familiar, somewhat similar to her own nightmare. She gulped, "And Namora?"

"She's one too." Carol said plainly.

Greer merely nodded.

Carol studied Greer for a minute. The redhead was hard to read. "I… I will understand if you still won't want to talk to me. Just… promise to keep my secret, please."

Greer stayed silent for a moment. "Carol, I wasn't going to tell anyone. And I doubt that I would stop talking to you. You were the first person to talk to me, since I started at Cresskill. You remind me a lot of my friend back home."

Greer's heart thumped after speaking. This had to have been huge for Carol, and Greer felt guilty for almost making her tell her, and that Carol knew little about her.

"Carol, listen, I-" Greer started.

"You girls gonna kiss or what?" A male voice called out, taking the women by surprise.

A gangly teenager approached them. "Nice story by the way, maybe my employer will give me something for you too, alien-girl."

Carol's face turned crimson in both embarrassment and anger. "Who the hell are you?" She clenched her fists, debating whether to prepare a charge.

"I'm Shocker, and I'm after Red." He pointed to Greer. "But you're not out of the question either."

 _Red. Ghost called me Red. He has to be working with whomever sent that Ghost guy._ She continued to think as she watched the guy.

"Why do you want Greer?" Carol asked, confused.

"Oh, right. She's got that image-thingy on. Lemme show you." He sinisterly smiled.

Before either Greer or Carol could react, Shocker released a forceful, electric shock at Greer's body. Every muscle in her body twitched as the current ripped through her for several seconds. She thought her heart was going to explode, and then he stopped.

Greer doubled over. She had never suffered a shock like that before. She panted as she tried to keep herself upright on her hands and knees. Her ears then picked up a crackling sound. Her image inducer was completely fried by the current and was dying. The screen flickered a few times, then completely gave out.

Carol watched as Greer's image faded and in her place was a very large tigress. She blinked in both shock and awe. Paws, teeth, ears, and a tail twitching in irritation. She looked more tiger than woman.

Greer's chest pounded in anger. She could hear her pulse in her ears as they slowly pinned back. Greer looked up and her green eyes, met Carol's blue ones. Carol could now see what she truly looked like. That she was a meta too, and that she was some sort of awful tiger creature. Greer felt shame wash over her. She looked away and backed at who started this, Shocker, the shame she felt was soon replaced with pure fury.

" _That's_ why I was hired to catch her." Shocker said confidently. "I think I liked her better with the image on though. I'm not exactly into furries."

Greer's chest pounded, her pulse thundering in her ears. She flexed her hands and her claws scratched the polished, hardwood floor. Her breathing began to pick up the pace. Greer's fur on her neck, shoulders, and even down her back stood upright. She released a guttural growl. The tigress roared and charged.

The sudden movement caught Shocker off-guard. He narrowly avoided a swipe most likely would have beheaded him. He aimed another blast at the animal.

Greer dodged backwards, baring her impressive canines.

Shocker pushed her back with smaller blasts, putting space between himself and her. She blocked them with her arms. He was getting tired and clumsy from expending so much of his own energies. He hadn't had a catch be this challenging before. No wonder his employer offered him so much money.

The predator saw her opportunity. She charged on all-fours. She had closed the gap with a few strides before she pounced on him. Roaring deafeningly at him, she swung her claws at him, slicing his shirt into his side as she knocked him a few feet away. Greer was now vengefully toying with her prey now as she smacked him across the floor in the other direction with her other clawed hand.

Carol could hardly tell if Greer was even in control of herself now. She froze, too afraid to move in case Greer might consider her the next target.

Greer tackled Shocker again as he feebly tried to stand. Her hackles still angrily upright. The tigress was the embodiment of unbridled rage on top of him.

"Please…" Shocker whimpered feebly

Greer roared in response and drew her arm back to give a final blow.

Carol couldn't watch Greer kill someone, no matter how much of an ass he was and no matter how much be probably deserved it. "Greer!"

She looked to the source of the sound. Her face softened as she looked at Carol expression.

Not a moment, later two tranquilizer darts nailed Greer in the shoulder and back. The drugs took effect almost immediately and Greer's stance waivered. She stepped off, and away from her victim. Her ears heard the stomping of boots approach and her vision clouded. She looked around for Carol, who was still staring at her. Greer released something of a plaintive noise before succumbing to sleep.

* * *

Greer's temples throbbed, pounded even as she came to. She groaned as she slowly moved to sit up on the mattress.

There mirror across the room said it all, she was back in confinement. She rubbed her aching head with a padded palm. "Fuck…" She uttered.

"Greer! Language!" Her mother scolded as she entered the room. She held a glass of water and some ibuprofen.

"Not so loud!" Greer yelled back, then whurfed in pain and shame that she just shouted at her own mother.

Catherine was shocked at Greer's outburst, but then saw how remorseful she was. The benefit of Greer's appearance now was that she was slightly easier to read, her ears and whiskers held low, and even her tail wrapped closely around herself. "Here…" She offered the medicine and the water softly.

Greer looked at it, then offered her palm for Catherine to give to her. She put them in her mouth then grasped the glass and swallowed both.

"Miss Grant!" The door flew open and Lt. Joyce stomped through.

"Goddamn it! NOT SO FUCKING LOUD!" Greer roared back, holding her aching head. She drew her knees to her chest and curled up. Everything hurt, physically and emotionally.

Lt. Joyce glared at the tigress, then softened a bit.

"My head is fucking killing me… What happened?" Greer said quietly.

Catherine wanted to scold her daughter again for her language, but stayed silent, she looked to Lt. Joyce. She only returned her look then back to Greer. Catherine understood the unspoken message.

"Greer, honey, what do you remember?" Catherine carefully held a large paw in both of her hands.

Greer scratched at one of her ears, then exhaled. "I stayed after school to play a game with… Carol." She swallowed, feeling that she was betraying Carol's trust. "I… I wanted her to tell me the truth. About what I saw. She told me everything." Greer hesitated, then knew she had to say it. "I was… going to tell her too." Greer's eyes lowered. "She told me so much. How it hurt. How her genes are fucked up too. How she had to move…" Greer hiccupped, then rubbed a wetting eye to keep herself composed.

Catherine rubbed Greer's back. She understood somewhat what Greer was feeling. She had been completely uprooted from everything she called home, because of something that was out of her power. Then, the one time she feels like she found a kindred spirit in Carol, whom had just exposed herself to Greer, had essentially the same nightmare as Greer. Greer would have tell Carol about herself as well. It was what friends did.

Lt. Joyce kept herself in check. She had to remember that she was dealing with teenagers. After grinding her jaw a bit, "What happened in the gym, Greer?"

She rubbed the back of her head. "I… Carol and I were talking. And then that guy showed up. Shocker or whatever his stupid name was. He… shocked me." Her fur bristled seemingly in remembrance of the sensation. "It… it killed the image inducer. Carol saw me. _Me_ , me. Then he started talking, taunting me… I just remember being so… so mad… so angry." Greer ended with a growl that unnerved her mother and herself. "He said he was after me. He called me 'Red.' Ghost calls me 'Red' too. I don't know what that means. But he said he was after me, and that he would turn in Carol too for a bonus." Greer flexed her hands before holding them together. "I was just so… pissed off… Then I woke up here, with one hell of a headache."

"Hmm…" Lt. Joyce uttered. "We will have to rethink the tranquilizers for you then."

"Tranquilizers….?" Greer asked.

"You were…" Lt. Joyce had to choose her words wisely, "You weren't yourself, Greer."

Greer asked with concern, "…What do you mean?"

Catherine gripped her daughter's hand, and gently squeezed for assurance. As much as she didn't want Greer to hear it, she needed to.

"Greer, you had… attacked Shocker." Joyce exhaled.

Greer was visibly stunned. "I…." She looked to her clawed hands then, whimpered. The sound of his plea pervaded her mind. Flashes of memory of her swiping at him, gashing him and his blood coating her claws. Her ears immediately flattened.

Catherine saw her daughter's breathing accelerate.

Greer licked her lips, "Get out." She spoke softly.

The command caught the officer and her mother off guard and they didn't move.

Greer lifted her head, glaring daggers at both of them. "Get. Out." Her ears flattened, her fur upright, and her words ended in a guttural growl. Her tail began to twitch about angrily.

Lt. Joyce understood the impending danger and motioned for Catherine to leave as well. Catherine stood, but paused at the door, to give Greer a last look.

"Out." Greer commanded. Her tail was now fully thrashing and her body was visibly shaking.

Catherine shut the door behind her.

Several moments past before people passing by Greer's cell heard the bestial outburst. Greer lost her composure. She overturned the bed, tore gashes into the metal surrounding her room and eviscerated the standard twin-size mattress in the cell.

Catherine's hand covered her mouth when she watched her daughter's tantrum.

"You see why I am concerned about her." Lt. Joyce said plainly.

Catherine gave the lieutenant an intimidating glare, though her tears streamed slowly. "Lt. Joyce, my daughter is a good girl. Despite what has happened to her." Catherine turned to watch Greer more through the mirror. She had settled after rending a pillow in two by holding it with her hands, biting a mouthful and pulling back. Sometime during the fit, she tore a sleeve off of the inmate clothing she was dressed in. The down was falling like snow and Greer panted heavily. She was visibly tired, both physically and emotionally. The tigress grabbed the torn mattress off of the twisted bed frame, pushed it onto the floor, then sat on it. Again holding her head.

Catherine spoke softly, "Her temper was always so… dubious. Even before all of this. There were times she had the absolute patience of a saint. There were other times, which if she had been successfully rubbed the wrong way, no pun intended, or just pushed to her limit, she could and would snap." She chuckled nervously, "You know, I once received a call from the middle school. Greer had gotten into a scrap with a pair of students. The students were bullying Patsy because she was shorter. Greer stood up for her. Those students said some nasty things, even accusing the two of them of, 'being gay together.' You know how hurtful kids that age are… Greer protected Patsy. However, she had thrown the first punch. She gave each of them a black eye, received one of her own, sprained her own wrist and put a sizable dent in a locker." Catherine sighed reflectively. "I paid for the damages and doctor bills."

Catherine looked to Madeline, she looked drained. "My point of all of this, Lt. Joyce, is that I don't not expect this from Greer. Greer can be a protector. She felt the need to protect Carol and acted on that instinct."

* * *

Carol heard Greer beside her for several moments. It sounded like she would tear through the wall. Carol timidly scooted away from that side. She groaned and curled into herself. She was back at the US Meta Corps, back in a cell, and she knew she was being stared at through that mirror.

Carol tried to go through what had happened. She and Greer were having a very edgy game of HORSE in the gymnasium. Greer gave Carol a wager, one she couldn't refuse.

 _If you miss this, I want you to tell me what I saw… If you make it, I'll drop the entire subject and leave you alone…_

Miraculously, Carol made the shot. But she still felt the urge to tell Greer about herself, her true self as a meta human. She wanted Greer to trust her. She wanted Greer as a friend, so she told her a deep, deep secret that she had promised never to tell anyone.

"She was going to tell me too…." Carol whispered to herself. She remembered that Greer had started to speak… Carol felt like Greer was going to tell her about herself.

The door slowly swung open. The woman that stepped into her cell wasn't the lieutenant Carol knew. She was shorter and had long black hair. She also didn't wear a uniform. The woman wore a plain T-shirt and jeans and looked exhausted. She had a scent of exhaust and plastics, a manufacturing plant.

"You must be Carol." She started, giving the teenager a smile.

"Uhh… Yeah." Carol said nervously. The woman seemed familiar, but couldn't place her.

"My name's Catherine." She introduced herself, and offered her hand to Carol respectfully.

Carol looked at her, before returning the gesture. "Carol Danvers."

"I'm Greer's mother." She said quite matter-of-factly.

 **DC57: Have another chapter. Enjoy! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Catherine saw the look of absolute shock on Carol's face after she said that she was Greer's mother. She couldn't help but snicker.

"Maybe Greer should explain." Catherine offered her hand to Carol.

Greer had curled up tightly on her side atop her abused mattress, her back to the door. Her ear turned when she heard the door open, "Go away," she murmured.

"Greer, you need to talk to someone." Catherine said.

"No, I need to be left alone." Greer retorted, unmoving from her position.

"Greer…" Catherine warned.

The tigress growled. "Dammit Mom, I just want to be left-" Greer turned and sat up as she spoke. Then stopped her sentence when she saw Carol. "Oh."

"I'll just let you girls talk." Catherine excused herself from the room, shutting the door behind her.

Greer shook as she started to get visibly upset. "This is all my fault."

"Greer, it's alright." Carol moved closer.

"No it's not!" Greer roared and slammed her fist in the wall. Carol jumped at the dent left in the metal wall. "We're in here because I lost my shit! You're in here because of me. I never should have been allowed to leave…" Greer wept.

"What do you mean?" Carol asked, moving closer.

"Carol, I attacked someone." Greer drew her knees up to her chest, some of the memories came back again and she winced, her ears pinned back. Greer emitted something of a morose groan.

Some tense moments passed, Carol rubbed her upper arm. "Greer, can you tell me what happened?" Carol asked, taking a step closer.

"You were there." Greer grumbled.

"No, I meant… _you_. What happened?" Carol was unsure of how best to ask it.

"Oh…" Greer exhaled slowly. "I…. I was genetically modified… I guess. I… don't know where to start really. It's all a mess."

Carol took a deep breath, then moved to sit beside Greer on the mattress, "The beginning usually helps." She gave the tigress a smile.

Greer was a bit stunned by Carol's move. "I… It started during a basketball game-"

"I knew you played." Carol interrupted.

"Heh, yeah… During the game I was charged. I fell back and smacked my head on the hardwood. I was taken by some medics and they… injected me." Greer continued on with her story for a while. Telling Carol everything that happened until the past several hours.

"So…. Asshole comes to try and capture me and you for whatever reason for somebody. He fries my image inducer and you get to see that your friend is actually some sort of genetically-altered mutant tiger freak." Greer spat.

"Greer, you're not a freak." Carol said kindly. She wrapped her arm around Greer's shoulders and nestled into her shoulder. "You're soft."

Greer bristled at the sensation.

"You still don't like being touched?" Carol asked with a yawn.

"No, yes… I mean. I'm just not used to it anymore. I can't let anyone touch me. The image inducer only projects an image over me. So if someone touched some part of me that isn't covered…"

"They'd know you're soft." Carol snuggled further into Greer's arm sleepily.

It had been a long, overwhelming day for both of them. Greer gaped her maw into a wide yawn and also began to doze.

Catherine smirked when she stepped into the cell. Both Greer had Carol had fallen asleep, and Greer was draped over Carol, whom was sleeping on her back and snoring.

"Just like Patsy and Greer." Catherine kneeled over, she stopped when she saw the two odd stripes on her shoulder, but then shook her head. She gently nudged her daughter's furred shoulder. "Greer…"

Greer was always stubborn to wake up. She groaned throatily and turned her head to the other side. Catherine rolled her eyes and pushed her shoulder harder. "Greer."

"Mmmmf… what….." She opened a sleepy eye then pushed herself off of Carol who was also stirring.

"We're gonna go home sweetie." Catherine spoke quietly.

"Kay…. See you tomorrow." Greer mumbled, drifting off again.

Catherine pried open a green eye. " _We're_ going home." She said sternly.

"Huh?" Greer woke up more, rubbing an eye. She also elbowed Carol awake. "Home?"

"Yes. I'm giving you girls a second chance." Lt. Joyce joined the group. "However, I want you two to be warned, that I will be keeping a closer eye on you two. You're both allowed to attend school with the understanding that you won't expose yourselves as metas. To anyone. Clear?"

"Crystal." Greer responded. Carol nodded in agreement.

"Good. I'll give your mother a new inducer while you girls get dressed." Lt. Joyce and Catherine excused themselves.

Several weeks had passed since that incident. Catherine watched as Carol and Greer became even tighter. She slowly began to feel relief as some sense of normalcy was eventually returned to their lives.

"Are you excited for tonight?" Greer asked Carol.

"Heh, yeah, I haven't spent the night at anyone's house since we moved here." Carol grinned as she grabbed her bag. "We walking to your place?"

"Yeah," Greer waited on her friend. If her tail wasn't wrapped around her leg it's be twitching about excitedly.

Both girls reached Greer's home.

"Your mom working tonight?" Carol asked setting down her bag, and taking off her shoes.

"Yeah, swing shift tonight and then again in the morning. I don't know if we will see her." Greer methodically went around to each of the windows and closed the blinds before deactivating her inducer. She shook herself as soon as it was clear.

"She sure works a lot." Carol commented, looking around the large home. She spotted a photo of Greer on the end table.

"Yeah…" Greer said as she stepped out of the kitchen with some snacks.

"This you?" Carol asked curiously.

"Heh, yeah, pre-furball…. And that's my dad." Greer spoke a bit wistfully.

Carol bit her lip, not wanting to stir up bad memories. "Sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright. I'm sure you've been wondering where he is." Greer smiled. "He's gone. He was killed."

"Greer… I'm so sorry." Carol moved closer to her friend, hugging her tightly.

Greer absently touched her shoulder as she continued. "He and I went out for lunch on a Saturday. "These… These guys in blue mask drove up beside us and crashed into our car on purpose. We were in an SUV and they hit us just right and we rolled. When… When we were crawling out of the windshield I got cut here on my shoulder. Then…. Then they came up and shot him." Greer swallowed.

Carol had felt the blood drain from her face as Greer told the story of her father's death. She only wanted to hug her tighter, and she did. After several moments, "I… Do they know who…"

Greer shook her head quietly. "They don't know at all… Mom works so much to keep her mind off of everything." She wiped a tear away, then forced a laugh. "Heh, enough sad stuff. Did you bring your swimsuit?"

Carol smiled as Greer changed the subject. She couldn't help but notice she only explained one scar, but maybe that was a story for another time. "Yeah, I did."

Carol was woken by an awful noise. She had fallen asleep on top of Greer's furred body. Greer now thrashing violently underneath her. Her lips curled into a ferocious snarl. Her clawed hands moved

Carol moved away from the dreaming tigress.

 _Animal._

 _Greer ran. A classic angry mob behind her complete with torches and pitchforks._

" _Get the animal!"_

 _Greer turned down an alley and crashed into the garbage cans. She began to run on all fours, but she was beginning to tire. Greer looked back to the group chasing her._

" _The freak belongs in a zoo!"_

" _No! Please!" Greer begged aloud. She crashed into a barred wall. Suddenly three other sides of the cage folded up around her. "Please, I'm not an animal!"_

" _Could have fooled me." A familiar voice chimed in._

" _Patsy? Patsy! Please you know me!" Greer called to her friend that stepped up to the cage._

" _I don't know you, animal." She said coldly._

 _Greer looked around the crowd. Most of them people she recognized from their old town. Bobbi, Karla… "Mom…?"_

" _I'm sorry, sweetie, but this is for the best." Her mother assured._

" _Mom! NO!" Greer hysterically cried. She flailed her arms, accidentally raking her mother across the face. "NO!"_

 _She grasped her face. "You're not my daughter, you're a beast."_

 _Greer tried to speak again but all she emitted were growls. She lost her ability to speak. The tiger sat down as her environment changed. She was in a zoo now. People gasping and gawking at her. Greer looked at her reflection in the pool within her enclosure. Her eyes widened._

 _Greer was now a full tiger. Stuck on all fours, unable to speak. She was an animal. Greer lifted her head and bellowed out a remorseful roar._

"Greer!" Carol called as she shook Greer.

Greer roared awake. She panted and looked around her room, her panting as she came to the conclusion she had been dream. "Oh… God…" She tried to calm herself.

"You alright?" Carol asked quietly.

"Y-yeah… Just… just a bad dream…." Greer stood. "I need some air…."

Carol followed Greer down the stairs and outside as she sat on a lounge on the patio, holding her head.

"Here, grabbed your water…" Carol offered.

Greer grabbed the water bottle and chugged. She wiped her mouth on her furred arm.

"Must have been one hell of a dream…" Carol sat beside Greer.

"Yeah… It's… It's been a recurring one." Greer admitted. "I… I keep dreaming that I turn into a tiger. More than I am right now. And… they keep calling me an animal. A beast…"

"Oh… Greer…" Carol hugged her again. "You're not an animal. You know I've had nightmares since my accident. Most of them involving me being dissected, alive."

Greer shuddered, "Yikes…. That might be my next nightmare now that you said that."

 _ **DC57: Sorry for the long wait and short chapter guys.**_


	7. Chapter 7

Greer immediately felt that something wasn't right when she approached her home. Something just felt off. It made her skin crawl and her fur stand upright.

"Mom…?" Greer called out as she walked into her home. She was met with no answer. Her mom had texted her during school. It said she was going to be home early to make a nice dinner and spend some time with Greer.

Greer called out again. Her sharp hearing picked up a faint noise. Stepping into the kitchen, Greer saw her mother collapsed on the floor of the kitchen.

"Mom!" Greer rushed to her side. A neon dart stuck out of Catherine's neck.

"Greer…. Go…" She groggily moaned.

"Mom, what-" Greer froze when she smelled an unfamiliar scent. She curled her lip into a snarl.

A dark-haired man entered the room. He was huge, and covered in animal skins.

Greer growled again, "Who are you?"

The man merely chuckled. "This really wasn't much of a hunt."

Greer snarled loudly.

"Really, you must realize how silly you look growling at me with that stupid image inducer covering your magnificent body." He folded his arms and leaned on the doorframe.

"What did you do to my mother?!" Greer roared.

The man sighed and then charged Greer quickly. She hardly had time to react and moved to throw a punch. He easily dodged and his fingers nailed her in select places on her shoulder and neck.

Greer collapsed. Her entire body was paralyzed. Fear sank on and she struggled to get her arms and legs to move. Even her tail went lax and unfurled from her leg.

"What did you do to me!" She screamed out in panic.

The man knelt beside her and rather sadistically ran his hands through her red hair. He smiled when he felt the soft fur. He picked up her limp arm and turned off her image inducer.

"Magnificent." He purred as he studied her body. He was only met with a whimper. "You'll be perfect." He snapped his fingers and men entered from another room and began to pick up Greer's heavy body.

"Wait… Mom!" She tried again to move.

"No worries, pet, your mother will be fine." He caressed her again, she curled her lip in an angry snarl.

She felt a stick in her neck and something being injected into her body. Everything went black.

Greer stirred as she woke. She rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up. Her muscles ached as she sat upright.

"I… I can move…" Greer said.

"Of course dear. The nerve pinches only last a short time." His dark voice explained. He apparently had been watching her sleep. That unnerved Greer for sure.

Greer shook her head. She looked around and another fit of anxiety set in. Bars surrounded her on all sides. "No…. no no….. nonononono….." Greer charged the bars and received a violent shock. The tigress fell back. She groaned and sat up again. Underneath her was hay and a water bottle. Her stomach growled loudly. It was then Greer was fully naked. She gasped and covered her furred body with her hands.

"Relax dear, I am not interested in you for _that_ reason." He merely continued to smile.

"Who are you?" Greer growled.

He chuckled and stood and approached the cage. He was so strong and large, even his footfalls thudded on the ground. Greer still had a head on him, but was not a strong, clearly. "My name is Kraven, and I am a hunter."

Greer swallowed and she felt her tail bush.

He read her reaction. Kraven pulled his chair closer to the cage and sat, folding his hands together. "Your body must be going mad…"

The tigress tilted her head curiously. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Look at yourself, dear. You are a magnificent beast." Kraven commented. "A perfect blend of woman and animal. You were combined with an apex predator no doubt." His speaking interrupted by a snort from Greer. "Anyways, I imagine though you have certain instincts that are _not_ being properly expressed."

"I still have no idea what you are talking about…" Greer huffed and crossed her arms.

"Come now, sure you have felt a need. A calling." Kraven continued. "You're hungry."

Greer merely rose a brow. "I eat well enough."

"Not that kind of hungry… You need to hunt. You can't tell me that sitting at a table, eating is _satisfying._ "

Greer whimpered. He was right. Even after eating two or even three helpings, Greer was still hungry. Unfulfilled. She flexed her claws and even caught herself staring at squirrels and rabbits outside. There was also the incident where she chased a raccoon up a tree and she caught it. If her mother hadn't snapped her out of it…

"Mmm…. I thought so." Kraven cooed. Greer flattened her ears and watched him leave.

Four agonizing days passed.

Kraven kept her caged and denied her food. Though the sadistic bastard made it a point to eat his dinner in front of her.

Greer began pacing again. He also kept her from using a normal bathroom, she couldn't even bathe. Greer felt filthy, disgusting, hungry…. She felt like… an animal. Her middle growled loudly and she whimpered. Her body felt so weak.

Greers's vibrant orange and black fur turned dingy and dirty. She even caught herself licking an arm, though the taste of herself and all the fur she collected on her rough tongue repulsed her enough to not do it again.

Kraven's lackeys would come in of a morning and refresh the hay and the water bowl she lapped water from. They chained and muzzled her when they did so. After the third say, she didn't feel like she had the strength to fight.

Greer sighed as she watched the light change in the room. There was a tiny, vented window in the area her cage was kept. She caught slight whiffs of fresh air and could at least get an idea of what time it was. Dusk was dinner time, at least for Kraven.

His table was set for him and always a large meal was presented. It mostly consisted of meat though.

"So, dear… how are you feeling?" Kraven asked as he sat and uncovered the platter.

Greer gutturally growled loudly and he watched him cut a chunk of rare prime rib. She licked her lips and even salivated at the sight.

"Hungry, I assume?" Kraven said coolly between chewing.

Greer nodded, her eyes fixated on the helping of food he ate. Her stomach rumbled and it was loud enough for both to hear.

"Good, because I have a plan for you." He lifted a drumstick and tore off a chunk like a barbarian.

"What…. What sort of plan?"

"I have a test for you. You are a superb being. You need training, but I could give it to you if you prove that your animal instincts are alive and well. That you haven't completely lost them. If you do pass, I'll let you out of that cage and give you a feast. If you fail, then… well, you'll become a trophy of mine."

Greer was hardly in a condition to say no. She needed food, she needed to eat. If she didn't pass… at least her suffering would be over. Too weak to care, "I'll do it."

Before Greer knew it she was cuffed, leashed and being led out of the cage. Kraven walking in front and five of his employees surrounding her as they kept her in control.

"My dear-"

"My name is Greer." The tigress huffed. She was immediately met with a violent shock from a cattle prod.

Kraven merely rose a brow to the employee that shocked her, but shrugged and continued to lead the group. "Greer, your test will be to hunt and kill a sambar."

"A what now?" Greer cocked her ears. Never hearing of such a thing before.

Kraven pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's a large deer. I want you to hunt it, and kill it."

They came to a door and he nodded to his employees. They nervously began to unfasten her cuffs and the collar around her neck. Kraven pressed a button and the door opened as she was pushed inside.

Greer was now inside a large enclosure. Forested, natural. It smelled fresh. She felt so free. Her tail flicked, her tail twitched.

"Welcome to my private hunting enclosure, Greer." Kraven's voice echoed over a loudspeaker. "Over 100 acres of prime hunting. Now, begin."

Greer whimpered. She had never hunted before. She had heard her father occasionally hunting with some cop buddies, but she had never gone herself. A scent did tickle her nose though, her pupils dilated and something registered in her brain. Perhaps it was the fact she was literally starved but it was… _food._

Greer held her head low as she tracked. Finding that she was able to single out the odor she was bent on, and disregard others. Walking like this on two legs was awkward, so she began to crawl on her hands and knees.

Something else unlocked in Greer's brain, and her body changed the way she was moving. Her padded feet properly under her body and moving faster. Greer discovered she was on all fours. As she did when Shocker attacked.

The scent grew stronger, and so did her urge. Her legs moving faster. Her mouth opened as she panted. Crashing through the brush now until she halted herself.

It was a large deer. A huge, fucking, deer.

It had paused for a drink.

Greer could smell it. He… it was a he by the huge antlers. Her stomach growled and her body completely froze, watching the large creature. Greer's muscles ached and nearly spasmed with need. She was so… hungry. The tigress gathered her legs under her and dug her claws in for traction before she leapt from her cover.

Greer misjudged her jump and missed the buck. It squallered, reared and escaped. A screeching sound from the loudspeaker.

"THAT'S A FAILURE, GREER!" Kraven hollered into the PA system.

"Wait! No! I… I haven't hunted before! Please!" Greer begged. She didn't want to die… She wanted to eat. Before even receiving an answer she took off again on all fours.

It took another half an hour, but Greer tracked the deer again. She was behind him, she licked her lips and her pupils dilated. She wanted that deer, she _needed_ that deer.

Greer burst from the brush again. Landing squarely on his back, Greer held on for dear life, digging her clawed hand deep into the flesh on his muscular shoulder. In a fluid motion, she used her weight to topple him onto his side. Her free arm guided his head upwards, exposing his neck and Greer sunk her teeth into him.

Greer felt the warm rush of blood in her mouth. Her eyes rolled back and she bit deeper. The buck struggled hard, and she only locked her muscles further and deeper into him. Something about this was pleasureable. She enjoyed it and even elicited a groan as she felt the sambar's life slowly fade and his body go still.

Greer kept her body locked on his for several more moments. Her ears soon picked up the sound of hands clapping getting closer. Snapping out of her bliss, she released her jaws from around the bucks neck. His eyes glazed over in a stare of death. Greer panted, still staring at the corpse before tearing herself away to look at Kraven.

"Beautifully done my dear. I see you have not let your animal side completely die." Kraven grinned, showing perfectly straight, white teeth. "Enjoy your feast." He turned to leave.

Greer panted. Everything felt hazy. She looked to him curiously. Then looked back to the dead deer. Her body gave one last shudder. Greer licked her lips then dove back into to the carcass to eat her fill.

Greer was on her second hunt. It was only two days after her successful test. Kraven allowed her to stay in the enclosure, alone for the next two days. Again with no food. Fresh water flowed through large creeks and Greer kept her head to the ground.

A rancid smell then tickled her nose. She followed it though and she heard growling noises and flesh tearing and bones crunching.

It was Greer's first kill, the sambar, and a bear was tearing off what it could. It apparently sensed her presence and stopped, roaring loudly towards where she was hiding. It also wasted no time and charged her. Greer dodged the initial attack and lunged. The grizzly back handed her with surprise speed. Tearing the flesh on her cheek and above her eye.

Greer roared and backed off. But this…. Thing was in _her_ territory. She didn't care about the sambar, this thing attacked her! The tigress lost herself and lunged towards the bear. Greer bit deeply into his shoulder. It reared up and smashed Greer into a tree by backing into it. It turned the bit into her arm, breaking the bones.

Greer gave a deafening roar. She swung a strong arm into the side of the bear's skull. Her clawed thumb gouged into his eye. The bear was weakening, but Greer never let up. Everything in her very existence screamed at her to survive and to do what it takes. She gained leverage and then climbed into the bear. She still had a hold of its head and with her good arm, twisted it into an obscene angle until she heard a sickening crack and the large body beneath her go completely limp.

The tiger's body was completely spent and she continued to lay on top of her victim. She hissed when she felt the broken bones knit together. Her healing factor beginning to work.

She heard brush crash then she immediately sat up. Her battle clearly wasn't over.

Kraven witnessed the battle and was concerned for his hunting companion. He signaled for medical to assist and entered the enclosure to find Greer.

Greer was completely gone. The large hybrid curled her lip to the dark-haired man. The man was unwelcome. Though still injured, she bellowed a roar and charged. She punched him in the side, swung her claws to tear into his flesh. The tigress even bit into his arm and shoulder.

Kraven was literally floored by Greer's vicious attack on him. Any trace of her humanity was gone and it was an injured animal protecting herself. Kraven finally shoved Greer off and he watched her striped form dart into the brush.

Greer slowly healed over the next two weeks. Physically. The tigress was unapproachable and rarely even spotted. Her human mind of logic and reason were shattered. She was fully an animal. A beast.

Kraven was forced to track her and he found her visiting a tree, repeatedly. Greer had even began to mark her territory.

Kraven was finally able to recapture her with a captive capybara. He caged her, which only made the feline more furious. Repeatedly charging the bars, shocking herself. Kraven had them disconnect the electricity and Greer only injured herself further by chewing on the rods and causing her nose to bleed by pressing on them so hard. Kraven wanted a thinking hunting companion, and for that he needed some of her humanity to return.

Kraven had Greer brought back out into the enclosure and presented her with a structure, a human structure.

It was only then did her mind begin to heal…

It was a slow process. Greer's mind slowly began to recover. Kraven gave cell phone orders and texts. Greer refused to verbally communicate with him. Only returning with a series of grunts and growls.

"Go…" The order barked in her ear. The tigress snorted in acknowledgement and leapt from her perch. The past three weeks Greer excelled in suing her body to her fullest, and even unpredictable ways. From her drop, she reached out with both arms, and used the momentum to swing from one tree to the next as an ape would. The tigress landed on the third tree, her claws digging into the bark and she climbed down it like a gecko.

Greer pressed her body close to the ground and crawled through low, low underbrush, then charged the nigali. The stag took off, and Greer's body chased reaching incredible speeds, almost that of a cheetah. She caught up with her prey, tripped it, and bit down on its neck to kill it.

This hunt was later than usual and Greer was hungry. She licked her lips from the kill's blood and looked around. She lowered herself to begin eating.

A skull-splitting sound ripped through her skull. She backed away from her kill and the sound stopped. Kraven approached.

"That's a good Tigra…" Kraven smiled. Amazed with her progress. She now even more resembled what she was meant to be. A blend of human and animal. She was logical, but fierce. Greer could be reasoned with, but equally violent.

Tigra growled and moved away further. She hated contact with Kraven. He talked at her and still did not want to talk to him ever. He also had started calling her Tigra. She didn't really mind the name but it was the fact that _he_ was calling her that pissed her off.

Tigra retreated to her "home." The treehouse that Kraven gave her. It also was a mix of human and animal. Minimally furnished with a bed and indoor plumbing. He also offered Tigra trophies from her own kills. The rack of her first sambar hung on the wall. Mostly for the sake of something to look at.

It was now as opposed to eating her kills raw, Kraven fed his companion. Sometimes the meat from her kills, or furnished something else.

One of Kraven's workers somewhat befriended Greer. Her name was Lucia. Greer only offered her a few words when Winifred dropped off Greer's meal, and whatever "gifts" Kraven decided to bestow on Greer.

"Hey Tigra…" Lucia greeted the tigress. She was tall with red, curly hair.

"….Hey." Greer grunted. She adjusted the skins she wore as makeshift clothes. Embarrassed she was talking to another human in essentially skivvies. Winifred could not be much older than herself. She griped about high school homework as well.

"Kraven said this was special for you…" Lucia gave Greer the small box. It was too small to be her dinner. It didn't smell like food.

Greer huffed and tore the box apart easily. She gasped a bit as it was real clothing. Though it was athletic clothing it was nylon and not dead animal.

"Wow, nice." Lucia commented. "Here, I'm sure you're hungry, Tigra." Lucia offered the box that contained her hot dinner. Lucia was the one that cooked the meat. Tigra's ears lowered and she locked eyes with Lucia. "My name's Greer."

Winifred froze. She rarely got more than a yes or a no from Tigra. "I…. I'm glad to meet you, Greer."

Kraven watched the exchange before a message beeped in.

"We have the next targets for Tigra."

"Excellent. Give me six hours…"

Greer studied the clothes for a while then tugged them on. She sighed happily. _I feel…. normal…_ Or as normal as she could. She went into her bathroom where a broken mirror was. She modeled for a bit, admiring her body. She still retained her figure, perhaps even gained a slight bit of mass, but she was still… _Whatever I am…_ Greer growled and stomped out and flopped on her bed.

Four hours later the cell phone Kraven issued to Tigra went off with a text.

 _Your next targets are ready._

"K." Was all that Greer returned with before leaving her makeshift home.

She was barely on the ground before she smelled the scent. _I…. I have smelled this before…_ It made her fur bristle, but she continued to track it. Greer covered a great distance, she must have been on the other side of the enclosure. The scent… no scents… were stronger now. Greer tracked them to a clearing and saw two indentations in the grass.

She inhaled deeply. _Female. Young._ Tigra growled more. Two young females on her territory. Taking another deep whiff, she knew her prey was not that far away. Tigra bellowed an angry roar and began to run through the leaves. She worked too hard to survive here to have it taken away….

"What the hell was that?!" Jennifer Walter's yelled as she ran.

"I'm not looking to tell you!" Janet screamed back as she ran behind the woman.

The animal sounded closer and closer. They could even hear it crashing through. Jennifer tripped over a branch and doubled over. The young woman clenched her teeth and hissed. "Not now…"

"You're damn right now is not the time!" Janet exclaimed as she watched Jennifer's skin take on a distinctly green hue. The young woman groaned and doubled over as her body expanded, tearing her clothing to the very limit.

Tigra took this opportunity to charge and pounce on the woman. She was met with a strong fist to the jaw.

"What the hell is that?!" Janet shrieked and shrank in size. Her gossamer wings fluttering.

It looked like a tiger that attacked a shifting Jennifer. Jennifer managed to hold her own against the beast as she painfully changed.

"I… I don't know, but I think it wants to kill us!" Jennifer exclaimed. She decked the tigress again, bloodying her nose.

Tigra twisted in the air and landed feet first on the ground gracefully. She sprung forward towards Jennifer again. The two Amazons met hand-to-hand, Tigra growling loudly. Jennifer's strength pushing Tigra down onto one knee.

The feral woman gave a loud roar and wrenched one of her hands free from Jennifer's. She dug her clawed hand into Jennifer's midsection and gaining leverage. The warm, oddly green blood coated the padded palm and Jennifer screamed in agony. Jennifer was impressively lifted up and over Tigra's head and cast off into a mature tree, breaking her shoulder. The predator wasted no time in launching herself at the hulking teenager, jaws open for her killing blow.

"Jenn!" Janet squealed and charged her blasts. It felt like a swarm of bees stinging Tigra's furred cheek. Jennifer used the distraction to kick the feline in the ribs and away from, holding her injured shoulder.

Tigra panted as the battle wore on, her tongue hanging out of her open maw. All three women were getting pushed to their limits.

"Wait! We don't want to fight you! Please!" Janet pleaded in her miniscule voice.

Tigra froze. _They…. They don't want to fight…. They're human… Meta-humans…._ Greer grabbed her head. Kraven just made her hunt other metas. Who would be next…. Carol?

"I… I didn't want to hunt you…." Greer muttered and sat down on the grass.

Janet re-enlarged to her normal, albeit petite size and moved to slowly approach the tigress.

The area was suddently flooded with blinding light and the sound of crashing glass from above. Uniformed men and women were lowered from helicopters.

"Sergei Kravinoff!" A familiar voice sounded.

"….Lt. Joyce….?" Greer spoke, not having heard that voice in close to six weeks.

Both Janet and Jennifer looked at her. "You know Lt. Joyce?"

The redhead, using her ability to fly lowered herself two the three women. "Janet, Jennifer…." She turned and was equally stunned to see, "…Miss Grant….?"

The tigress gasped and felt her eyes water. Flooding memories of her own mother, Patsy and Carol came back. She embraced the lieutenant in a sudden, almost crushing hug. "I… I wanna go home…."

Lt. Joyce was unsure of what to do. She didn't expect to see Greer here. She cautiously wrapped her arms around the large, furred teenager. "I'll get you home." She promised.

"Ma'am, we've got Mr. Kravinoff…" Two men approached with a handcuffed Kraven in tow.

Greer snapped. It occurred to her that this man, this vile, evil man had kept her hostage. Away from her mother, her friends. Treated her like an animal. Wanted her to be a hunting dog. Both men arresting Kraven fled from the attacking tigress as Greer pounced on top of him. She brutally beat, scratched and bit him before Lt. Joyce pulled her off.

"Let's get you home…."

Catherine had called Lt. Joyce every day since Greer's disappearance, even twice a day sometimes. She struggled through work and lost weight. Catherine sat slumped against a couch.

"….M…..Mom?"

The voice stunned Catherine. She turned in the direction of the front door. In the doorframe was her daughter. Both were clearly just stupefied at seeing the other.

"G-Greer…?"

The tigress released a chuff and charged on all fours. Catherine barely stood before her large daughter nuzzled into her middle, pushing her back onto the couch. Greer had sat on her haunches and pressed her moist nose into her mother's midsection and sobbing fully.


	8. Chapter 8

The striped tail flicked about in irritation as the man continued to invasively examine Greer. He tugged her eyelids open and shined an annoyingly bright light into her eye. She growled and snapped at him as he pulled away.

"Greer…." Her mother warned.

Greer merely snorted, "Are we done?" She pushed herself off the examining table.

Lt. General Joyce exhaled in irritation at the brash teenager. "Fine. Dr. Pym, what is your take?"

The blonde man ruffled through the papers on his clipboard. "Physically, she is perfectly healthy-"

"Wonderful. Terrific. Let's go." Greer tugged her top back on and stomped out the door.

"But, I fear her time with Kraven may have scarred her emotionally." He finished as the tigress slammed the door behind her. "Has Sergei said anything regarding what he did to her?"

Madeline shook her head. "Greer attacked him when we took him into custody. She messed him up pretty good. His jaw is wired shut currently. All the elixirs and whatnot he has taken to extend his life minimized his healing ability. He is still recovering more quickly than a normal human, but it will still take a few days for him to fully recover. Catherine, has she said anything to you?"

Catherine shook her head. "I try repeatedly, but all I seem to do is piss her off further. All she can assure me is that this Kraven did not sexually touch her. I don't know whether to believe that or…"

"Greer wasn't assaulted. I can confirm that." Pym assured.

Catherine sighed. "Somehow that brings only a little comfort, but thank you." The mother looked to the door where Greer was mostly likely pacing in front of.

* * *

Greer laid on the couch and had stretched out, she slowly was beginning to doze off. The doorbell ringing startled her.

"Mom…. Door…." She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Sad that a rare moment of somewhat peaceful sleep was interrupted.

"Can't you get it?" Catherine called out from the kitchen.

Greer cocked an ear and huffed in annoyance. She turned on the image inducer and walked a few steps towards the door. She froze though as a familiar aroma wafted by. Fur prickled upright and she licked her lips. Turning, the knob carefully, she opened it.

"Hey Hobbes," Patsy greeted.

Greer stood in shock for a few moments. "I… Patsy…" She stuttered. Finally she shook her head, and chuffed before tightly embracing her friend.

"Well, let Patsy in you goofball…." Catherine smirked at the two.

"Oh… Y-yeah…." She watched Patsy enter with some luggage. "Moving in?"

"Ms. G, you didn't tell her?" Patsy yelled as she sat down on the couch.

"Nah, I thought I'd let it be a surprise…" Catherine said before returning to cooking in the kitchen.

"Tell me… Tell me what?" Greer joined Patsy on the couch, looking between Patsy and the kitchen.

"Did you get hairballs stuck in your ears? I'm here to visit you for your birthday!" She nudged Greer in the arm.

"Birthay?" Greer thought. "Oh…." Her birthday had passed during her time with Kraven. "I guess… I guess I kinda forgot…."

Patsy rose a red brow, "Forgot? How do you-"

"Dinner girls!" Catherine skillfully interrupted their conversation.

The three women ate and Patsy eagerly caught Greer up on the happenings in their old home. Bobbi Morse is now sweet on some guy named Clint Barton. Really sweet and they have been to all the dances together. Some guy named Scott Lang had asked Patsy out, but he turned out to be a dud so she quickly dumped him after two dates.

"Then there's this new guy, Daimon, he's kinda cute, nice, sweet, dorky…." Patsy said quietly as she felt the blush rise to her cheeks.

"Oh? What's he look like?" Greer asked curiously.

"Here." She pulled out her large smartphone, pulling up the gallery. There were several pictures of Daimon and Patsy hanging out together and the occasional silly duckface selfie.

"He's cute." Greer said quietly. He was tall, lanky, cropped blonde hair, brown eyes. The phone then chirped with a text message. It was from Daimon.

"Oh, I told him I was going to be busy…." She quickly replied to the text and stashed the phone away. She took another bite of meatloaf. "What about you Greer? Anything new happen do you?"

Greer nearly choked. "I-kaff-…. N-no…. just school and stuff." She lied horribly, taking a long drink of milk.

While Greer's gaze was averted Catherine wordlessly communicated to Patsy with a nod.

"Oh… well… Will I get to meet this Carol you have told me about? I wanna make sure I haven't been completely replaced you know…"

Greer smirked. "You haven't been replaced. How long are you staying?"

"I have a week long pass." Patsy set the silverware on the clean plate. "Great dinner, Mom." She complimented Catherine. She stood to help clean the plates. "Unless you wanna kick me out sooner."

"We'll see about that…." Greer joined her in the kitchen.

Patsy set the dishes in the sink, running water over them to wash away any remaining food before handing them to Greer to place in the dishwasher.

"You sure you're alright?" Patsy asked after a few moments.

"Yeah… It's….. just been rough the past couple….. months." Greer exhaled before bringing the pots and pans to the kitchen.

Greer had been with Kraven for a total of two months. Hunting… Killing….. She swallowed and shook her head. Patsy watched her friend with concern. "I… don't want to talk about it right now."

Patsy sighed, "Alright, how about you show me this pool!"

Catherine watched the girls. Greer finally seemed to relax in the pool. The two young women continued their idle conversation and even engaged in a splash fight in the pool. Greer could pull off excellent cannonballs now.

The young women tired themselves out in the pool and pulled themselves out. Greer grinned widely and shook violently.

"GAH! HEY!" Patsy complained as a veritable tidal wave of water was sprayed all over her and her towel. "That's a damn dirty trick!" She twisted up the towel and expertly snapped it on Greer's shoulder.

"Uncle!" Greer laughed. She had forgotten what it was like to laugh to…. Feel happy. "I'm so glad you're here Pats…" Greer smiled finally, then gaped her maw in a wide yawn.

Catherine had already retired to bed when the girls came inside from the pool. Both retreated quietly to Greer's room and changed into pajamas.

Greer caught Patsy staring at her a bit. "….Take a picture….?" She tugged her top on.

"Sorry." Patsy turned away. They had changed in locker rooms and such before, but Greer's body was so curious, fascinating now. "You… you look like you've toned up a bit more. Been running?"

Greer sat on her bed. "You could say that." She answered flatly.

Patsy watched her friend again. Despite all her changes, she was still Greer deep down and Patsy knew it with all her heart. She sat on the bed and hugged Greer tightly. "I miss you."

Greer chuffed out of instinct and hugged her bestie back. "I miss you too."

The two embraced for several more moments. "Alright, enough sappy stuff, present time."

"Present? Pats, you didn't….." Greer started.

"I did and too bad." Patsy stuck her tongue out at Greer. She rolled over and grabbed her bag and rummaged through it. She pulled out a large box.

Greer looked between Patsy and the box before tearing the paper away. "It's a book. About big cats." Greer rose a brow.

"Well, I thought maybe you could…. Learn more about them and maybe yourself." Patsy shrugged. She didn't know what sort of instincts Greer would have now. Or even what she preferred to eat. "Maybe it'll help?"

Greer opened it. Patsy had written a note on the flyleaf:

 _To my best friend now and forever. Now matter how much we change, we will always be friends. I'm never letting go, Greer. You remember that. Cross my heart. Love, Patsy_

It was at that time that Patsy embraced Greer again. "I mean that…" She whispered.

Greer sniffled and felt her eyes water. "Hope to die." Greer finished the inscription aloud. It had become a mantra the two shared since their younger days.

"Alright, just one more…." Patsy wiped her eyes and pulled out a smaller box with a bow on it.

Greer immediately recognized it as a jewelry box. "Patsy, I can't…."

"Yes you can, and I may have lost the receipt so you're stuck with it." Patsy folded her arms.

Greer rolled her eyes, unbelieving that Patsy spent so much money on her. She carefully opened the velvet box, then inhaled sharply. It was a beautiful pendant of a tiger's head in profile. The eye studded in a small emerald and a collar with ruby stones.

"Patsy…. It's…. beautiful…." Greer gasped as she touched the delicate curves of the gold and the cut stones.

"Here, let me see if I got a long enough chain." Patsy offered to put it around her thick neck. It was a lovely two-tone gold chain as well. Greer moved her hair out of the way. She had it cut as soon as she could after returning home from Kraven and it was now shoulder-length and shaped up from her time with Kraven. Patsy fastened the clasp. "Well?"

The pendant fell perfectly on Greer's neck and chest. She sniffled. "Patsy…. I don't know…. I don't know what to say…." She felt…. Beautiful for once. Perfect. She continued to admire the charm for a while.

"Good…" Patsy trailed off as she laid on her stomach beside Greer, then both soon fell asleep.

* * *

" _You're such an animal!" A bystander screamed and pelted Greer with a rock._

" _No! Please!" Greer pleaded from within her cage, dodging the best she could within the small confines. "I'm human!"_

" _Hardly! Look at you! Look at what you did!" A man called out and pointed in her cage._

 _Greer looked in the direction. He was pointing at a carcass. It was the sambar._

" _Only animals kill and eat other animals!"_

" _Please! I was hungry!" Greer protested with the truth. Kraven had starved her so badly. She had to eat… She wanted to survive…._

" _Now we'll hunt you! You damned creature!" Kraven headed the mob, pressing a button, one side of her cage dropped open and Greer fled the ensuing mob._

" _Please! I'm not like this! I'm not-!" Greer continued to plead as she ran on all fours. She paused to stop and talk. She wasn't met with a mob, but a giant woman._

 _Greer's eyes widened as she recognized the ever changing faces on the large being as Carol, Patsy, her mother, then her latest two hunting targets, Janet then Jennifer. "Die." She them moved with a balled fist of one of multiple arms. Greer dodged, the fists as they punched the ground, shaking it beneath her body. The giantess pushing the tigress back further and further._

 _Greer felt the ground give way, she had been pushed back on a ledge, and had now been pushed off._

 _Greer screamed as she twisted her body, watching the ground rapidly approach._

The tigress's large body slammed into the carpeted floor. She was jarred awake by the impact. She pushed herself up on all fours, panting. Tears streaming down her face from the hellish nightmare she just suffered.

"Greer! Goddamn! Are you okay?!" Patsy woke up when she heard the massive thump on the floor. Greer had curled herself into a corner. Her knees drawn up to her chest and her mouth open as she panted.

"Holy hell…. What happened?" Patsy sat beside her and wrapped her arms around the broad shoulders.

"Just…. Just a bad dream…." Greer repeated over a few times. She swallowed, inhaled deeply, then managed to collect herself.

"I'll say, you fell off the goddamn bed!" Patsy rubbed her shoulders. "Greer, you need to talk to me. Please, tell me what is going on or what happened…" The redhead begged.

Greer looked to Patsy, then away, then back to her friend, instinctively rubbing the pendant still around her neck. "Alright…. Let's…. sit."

Greer pushed herself to sit on the foot of her bed, holding her head. All her nightmares always left her with a huge headache afterwards.

"I…. a couple months before you came…. I had been abducted." Greer struggled to start. She explained to Patsy what happened at her home, what knocked her out and who and what she awoke to.

"Kraven… This guy. He…. He made me hunt." Greer licked her lips as she began to relive her hunts. The sambar, the bear, others she killed and ate, even when feral. "And…. And when I caught them." She flexed her claws. "I killed them." Greer then gripped her tail wrung it in her hands, rubbing fur off of it. "Then…. Then I ate them…." She felt her stomach to a complete and total backflip at that admission.

Patsy gasped. "They… they were animals r-right?"

Greer nodded, "M-most of them…."

"Most?" Patsy froze.

"Th….the last ones were girls. M-meta-humans from school." Greer hissed as she had rubbed her tail raw in her padded hands. "I didn't know them before…."

"You didn't…." Patsy didn't know how to phrase that or what to think of what Greer was telling her.

"I…. I tried to…. To kill them. I… I was hunting…"

Patsy swallowed.

"But… then… Then I was rescued. Before I could…." Greer whimpered as she finished. She kept her eyes lowered.

Patsy sat in shock beside Greer. What she had been through, what she had done. She somehow could imagine Greer coated in blood, eating meat from a carcass…. But that also wasn't the Greer she knew. Only thing she had ever seen Greer kill were bugs and spiders.

"Lemme get you some water." Patsy stood and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Catherine was leaning against the wall to her daughter's room covering her mouth. "I heard… everything."

 **DC57: I need to say several things: First off, I am very sorry there are long gaps between my updates. My health has not been the best. Between my awesomely stressful job, physical and emotional shit, several doctor's appointments... I literally come home, eat dinner, have a beer, then go the fuck to bed.**

 **Secondly, Cheshire, thank you for following again. I hope you are enjoying! All will be revealed soon enough... *maniacal laughter and hand-wringing* Also and always thank you to KJAX for your kind words. I am starting another chapter as soon as I finish this and hopefully will post again tonight.**

 **I owe you all cookies of the best kind. Or Pop Tarts. Pick your poison.**


	9. Explanation

A/n: hey guys. I didn't mean to drop of theface e of the earth and sorry this isn't a chapter.

. Health went one eay, emotional support went another. Work has been insufferable. ...i'm also typing this ato work, on my phone. there gonna be typos. I want to start writing again for you. Especially now that I got a couple new followrrs. Thank you all for reading, and your patience. Bear with me and I will try to get a couple chapters up over the next few days. Thank you again.


	10. Chapter 9

Greer groused as she sat. A stylist worked on her russet mane. Greer insisted on a trim. She, rather Kraven, had let it get long. She sighed as she watched the hair fall.

"You alright, shug?" The stylist asked. Her Southern accent very thick.

"No, I'm okay. Just thinking." She studied the hairdresser. She was always covered head to toe. She did take her gloves off when she cut Greer's hair.

Anna Marie said the fur Greer had was thick enough that caused interference with her abilities. Anna Marie smiled as she turned Greer around to face the mirror.

"Ah hope I didn't get it too short, shug." Anna Marie brushed her trademark white streak out of the way.

Greer mussed with the short do, then shook her head. "Perfect." She smiled, baring her lethal fangs.

She had it cropped close. Close to her head, short and she styled it spiky, for fun. Greer stood and turned to hug Anna Marie. It had become a bit of a tradition between the two. Greer's black ear turned when she heard the door open.

"Nice 'do." Joyce commented.

"Yeah, yeah." Greer muttered.

Madeline rolled her eyes at the irritable teenager. While Catherine had discovered, and told Madeline what hell Kraven put the young tigress through, Greer still refused to speak about it.

"Greer, follow me, there's someone I want you to meet."

Greer groaned. "I told you, I don't want to talk about it."

"Not that, I just want you to meet someone."

Greer followed Joyce through several corridors. Even passing a large, panther long man. Lt. Joyce gave him a nod, "Apex." He responded with a grunt.

Certain natural scents were getting stronger. Joyce stopped and knocked on the door. It opened. It looked like a nature preserve.

"Dr. McCoy?" Joyce called up to the treetops. "I brought her!"

"Delightful, let me finish this stanza and I'll be right down!" A rather jovial voice called back.

Joyce left a rather confused Greer standing in the greenhouse. She stood there for a few moments. Taking in the sights and smells. She saw exotic flowers, painstakingly cared for. Trees were meticulously groomed. She head a faint humming, then a rather heavy thud behind her.

Turning she saw a rather… large… creature. He stood over her and snorted. Greer was frozen. Two large tusks pointed from his bottom lip. He loomed over her and inhaled her scent. A pair or small glasses rested on his nose. He was rather naked save for a pair of shorts. She couldn't describe what animal he was supposed to be. It hmmed, and studied her a few more times, before a smile finally broke the stern expression.

"You must be Miss Grant." He offered his over-sized, clawed hand to her.

"Uhh…. Y-yeah." She offered her hand paw back. "D… Dr. McCoy, I assume?" As she stood and shook the hand.

He laughed jovially. "Indeed I am! Come, come!" He lumbered through some bushes. Greer followed and saw a makeshift home of sorts. He man-beast walked on his knuckles as a gorilla would, but he also stood upright. He eagerly leapt on to a hanging bar, and hung upside down while picking up some test tubes, eying the liquids inside.

"I… what am I doing here?" Greer watched him.

"Ahh…'We know what we are, but know not what we may be.'" Dr. McCoy spoke still with a smile. Before he dismounted the bar and went over to her.

"Huh?" Greer's ears cocked in confusion.

He continued to smile. "My dear, I hear you have been through quite the ordeal." He went over to a fire that a kettle was warming over. He poured the hot water into two mugs. "Tea?"

"I'm…. not much of a tea drinker." Greer said, looking around the living arrangements. "Are you supposed to be another therapist?"

Dr. McCoy rubbed his furred chin as he looked at the young tigress over. "Hot chocolate then?" He mixed the cocoa into the hot water and offered the mug to the tigress. She took as he grabbed a bag of green tea to steep in his own cup. "A therapist, no. I am more of a biologist, actually." He gestured to a couple of chairs for them to sit.

"Then…. Why did Lt. Joyce want me to meet you?" Greer sat, blowing on the cocoa before taking a sip.

"Because, I have been told about what Sergei Kravinoff put you through. Quite the travesty to you. Using you as a hunting dog." Dr. McCoy tsked. He sipped his tea solemnly, "But Joyce wanted me to meet you, because, you are not alone Greer."

"I know there are meta-humans are all around here." Greer started.

"No, that's not what I meant. Greer, you aren't the only one that has lost herself to feral instincts." He continued seriously. "The problem with ferals, like you and I, is that our instincts are much harder to ignore. You probably excelled in Kraven's little tests, didn't you?"

Greer froze, she felt her hackles raise as a chill went down her spine. She sighed, "I did."

"…And you killed." Dr. McCoy finished.

Greer whimpered. She shakily set the mug down on a side table and held her head as memories were triggered.

Dr. McCoy hmmed as he watched her reaction. He carefully reached out and grabbed her hand. "Follow me." He rumbled.

Greer was brought back to reality, and watched the large man disappear, upwards into a tree. She looked around then clumsily followed him up the tree.

For such a large animal, Dr. McCoy, moved rather gracefully through the treetops. Swinging, from branches agilely. Somersaulting, and grabbing branches with both hands and feet. He kept humming a tune and threw in more quotes.

"Wait!" Greer coughed as she tried to keep up. She jumped towards a heavy branch. She failed to see that it was dead, and it immediately broke. She tumbled from the height and was easily grabbed by a swing McCoy. He smiled and pulled her onto his broad, furred back. "Just watch the claws dear."

He took her further into the jungle-like sanctuary. "Here," they stopped at a rather large, mature tree. She dismounted and followed him upwards, using her claws in the tree bark. They scaled to the top.

There was a secondary living area in the large tree. A nest of sorts was built on branches. A small platform was built. Greer cautiously stepped onto it, then turned to see the view.

"I… wow…." It was spectacular. A waterfall in the distance. Even a few tropical birds flew by, a gentle breeze caressed Greer's face and cropped hair. She sighed contentedly.

Dr. McCoy smiled. "I thought you might like it."

"Why did you bring me here?" Greer asked quietly, tearing herself away from the serene view.

Dr. McCoy was turned to a large cage that was built into the side of the tree, it was an aviary. He pulled out a blue and yellow macaw. "Percy here managed to find some poison berries. I found him flopping around in a puddle."

"So you nursed him back to health?" Greer carefully moved to pet the bird's head.

"I did." Dr. McCoy watched the bird fluff.

"Dr. Henry!" It suddenly obnoxiously screeched.

Dr. McCoy chuckled as the bird climbed up his shoulder. "He learned my name. Go on." He motioned to the bird and it took off.

Greer watched Percy for a few minutes, then turned to Dr. McCoy. "I'm not sure what…"

"Greer, I want to show you what it's like to be at peace with yourself. Look at me, I went from a lab jockey, to a blue-furred biologist that would rather sleep in a tree. I, too, have succumbed to my instincts. I broke a grown man's neck in a fit of rage. I still feel guilt for what I've done, but, I can't take it back now. Remember what I said earlier? The quote from 'Hamlet?'"

Greer shrugged.

"'We know what we are but, know not what we may be.' Greer, we are ferals. Nothing can change that now, but we can become something else. Maybe even greater." He gripped her paws again. "'Go wisely and go slowly. Those who rush stumble and fall.'" He recited. "You're welcome to come and go as you please, but if you excuse me, I'd like some time to myself." Henry patted the striped hands, picked up a book from a shelf affixed to the tree and took off expertly.

Greer watched him for a few moments, then sat on the platform, taking some time to herself and think.

"Oh God! Please stop hurting me!" The young woman screamed.

She let loose a bloodcurdling scream as the needle invaded her back, inserting itself in between her vertebrae. She continued to scream into she grew hoarse as she was injected. She finally fell unconscious from pain.

"Injection complete. Take her back to the holding pens. I want to see if it takes."

The young woman shuddered as she came to. She shook with chill as she was completely naked. "Oh God, where am I? Why are you doing this?" She looked around to see a man in a lab coat watching her. She tried to cover up herself.

"My dear Lucia. You were close to a project that I lost. You are going to help me find her. Provided my serum takes."

"Serum, what-" Lucia doubled over and vomited.

The man smirked as he watched the woman change.

Greer visited Dr. McCoy's habitat regularly. Every weekend for a month. She felt herself growing more at peace with the past. She had even managed to apologize to Jennifer and Janet for the ordeal with Kraven. She practiced her moves, and abilities. Tracking, hunting, without killing. Dr. McCoy smiled when she managed to catch a chipmunk, but it had injured itself (and Greer after a healthy bite to her palm). Lt. Joyce was even becoming impressed with her.

"So, what are you doing this weekend?" Carol asked Greer as they packed up to leave school.

"I… I don't know yet, maybe go to the habitat again?" She shoved a book in her bag.

Carol pouted. "Hey, you've been spending a lot of time in there…"

"Yeah, and….?" Greer retorted.

Carol sighed and pouted more. "I just… I kinda miss hanging out with you. I know you've been through a lot and stuff, but, you can talk and hang out with me too, you know?" She lightly kicked her locker. She honestly missed Greer's company. Greer was closer to Carol than any of the other girls. Jennifer was a bookworm. Janet was a fashionista and Namora was…. Namora. Carol shuddered.

"Listen," Namora is kinda having this… overnight thing for… us. I'd really like it if you came with me. You could keep me from choking Namora with a scarf." Carol kicked the locker again.

Greer smiled. She also had missed Carol. "Alright, I'll go."

 **DC57: So obviously I have been struggling with my story again. I am sorry there isn't a new chapter. I did have one, but the more I read it, and the lack of reviews... Well, I thought maybe I did something wrong. I started thinking more and thought I'd change Winifred into a different character. I tried to go back and erase any instances of Winifred. But just in case I (more than likely) missed some, replace Winifred to Lucia. Thanks.**

 **Also a special thanks for new reviews and followers. It always makes my day to know I am doing something right.**


	11. Chapter 10

Both Greer and Carol stood in awe of Namora's manor. They stood in the foyer and looked around at the expansive home. It was a labyrinth.

"Geez…. And I thought your house was big, Greer…" Carol commented.

"I know…." Was all Greer could muster in response.

"There you guys are!" The petite form of Janet raced down the stairs. She tackled Carol. "We were waiting for you! C'mon!"

The pair were led upstairs where Jennifer and Namora were seated. "The last two are here!" Janet exclaimed.

"I'm pretty sure we heard you downstairs, Janet…." Namora smirked. "Make yourselves at home."

Greer felt herself bristle, Namora still made her uneasy. Even though it came out that she was also a meta like the rest of the girls. Greer watched Carol sit beside Jennifer and she followed suit, scooting herself as close as possible to Carol.

"You know, you might be more comfortable without the image-thingy." Janet piped to Greer.

"Janet, she doesn't have to if she feels uncomfortable." Jennifer scolded. "Sorry, she's always a bit excited. We saw you before…"

"Yeah, when she was trying to kill us!" Janet argued.

"JANET!" The rest of the girls barked at her and she winced.

Greer sighed, "It's… it's alright. I mean…. We are okay, right? You know I didn't mean to-"

Jennifer raised a hand to stop her. "We know, you apologized to us about forty-three times already. It's alright."

Greer felt her ears lower, but she then solemnly moved to turn off the inducer. She felt Carol's hand around her own for comfort as she slowly opened her eyes to see the remaining three women smiling at her.

"You are very attractive Greer," Namora complemented. "A stunning pelt."

"Oh shush, you're just rubbing it in that you were right." Carol snorted, still not leaving Greer's side.

"Speaking of that little incident, I believe you owe me some new bangles that you broke."

"Oh, I'll give you bangles…." Carol growled, "I'll bangle you up and down that hallway and then down the street!"

Greer finally couldn't take it and burst out into laughter. Janet and Jennifer also began giggling, then the entire party was laughing loudly. Greer smiled, then grabbed a pillow and playfully whapped Carol.

"Hey! You damn furball!" Carol picked up the pillow and threw it hard at Greer only to have the large feline duck and it smacked Jennifer.

The pillow fight carried on, and eventually spilled out into the hallway. Greer bounded on all fours with a pillow in her mouth. She lost track of where she was in the enormous house. She smelled chlorine and headed that way, finding the indoor pool.

Greer panted and took a moment to set her "weapon" down and started to lap at the water. Despite the bad taste, she was thirsty. Greer failed to see the figure beneath the surface approaching rapidly.

A pair of arms wrapped around her neck, "Gotcha!" Namora declared and tugged the massive frame back under the water.

Greer opened her eyes under water and swam after Namora, though it was a futile effort. Namora had already left the pool water and Greer was dragging her sopping wet frame out of the water.

"You alright?" She heard, but couldn't tell the voice. She only stretched her mouth into a sly grin and began to violently shake, successfully soaking everyone in the vicinity.

"UNCLE!" was cried by everyone.

"You know that's a damn, dirty trick Greer," a very, very wet Carol pouted.

"Oh…. Bawwww…" Greer stuck her tongue out, then smiled. She then froze, "What's that…?"

"What's what?" Janet asked, looking around. She watched Greer, frozen in place almost and only her ears and nose twitching.

"I hear something…" Greer's claws clicked on the tile floor as she took several steps about, looking for the source of the sound.

A few moments passed, "Greer, we don't hear-"

"Wait…. I hear it too…" Namora soon looked like Greer, standing still. Her elven-like ears also must have been capable to hear what Greer was. The remaining three girls huddled closer. Soon a faint noise became a louder, a scrabbling sound.

The overhead vent burst open. A pair of figures jumped out. One immediately leapt after Greer, pouncing on top of her. Another took out Namora in a swift kick, then focused on Jennifer.

Greer roared as a brown, furry… thing slashed, growled, roared at her. A mane of hair was russet, like Greer's. However, the other's figure was much more human. Greer grabbed a wrist and threw the other off her. Giving herself some distance from the other, finally getting a chance to look at her opponent.

The tigress' eyes widened. The other was feline, sort of, but certainly more human looking than Greer was. A brown tail swished back and forth, exposed legs sported a few stripes. Same on her arms. She looked so familiar, but Greer didn't get another chance before the furry woman leapt at her again.

Greer slugged, scratched, slashed at what she could, fighting for all she was worth. She could hear the other battle between the girls, and another, unknown woman.

Greer's distraction cost her. The other feline raked her claws across Greer's orange cheek. Greer roared in pain.

"Alright, bitch that hurt." Greer leapt at the other. She fought the other feral, again beastlike.

"Feral! Sterns will not cure you unless you take her down!" The mystery woman called out to the brown-furred one.

Greer turned and looked back to the other, aghast. "Sterns? You're another one of his creations?!" Greer asked.

The other feline only screeched like a wildcat and leapt at her again. Her attacks more clumsy, she was running out of steam, Greer could tell. But the desire was still there, this poor woman was fighting for a cure.

Greer caught a swinging hand, "Stop, you don't have to do this!" She yelled at her, blocking the other hand and grabbing it as well.

"I… I have to…." The other, hissed out. Still unfamiliar with her elongated teeth. She was younger than Greer, she could tell.

The other, Feral, was smaller than Greer, but more agile. Her frame more lithe, but her hands looked like hands. Feet looked like feet. Aside from the russet hair that was askew during the battle, she was nearly human. Elongated ears, a long tail flicked back and forth, also fluffed in irritation. She was coated in chocolate colored fur.

The other woman shocked a green Jennifer into submission and swatted away an annoying, diminutive Janet. "That's right Greer, look at her. Sterns is perfecting his serum. He could fix you too-AUGH!" The raven-haired woman silenced by a blast from Carol.

The tigress turned head to Feral. "Please, stop. She's lying. He won't cure you!" She begged while Feral leapt again. "Please, no! You don't have to do this!"

Feral only screamed deafeningly. Silenced by a blast from Carol again, "Greer!"

Carol was then sent flying across the room into a pillar, unconscious. Her nose bleeding.

"CAROL!" Greer cried out. She bellowed a roar and leapt at the raven-haired woman, attacking her mercilessly.

Both opponents were running out of steam. Blows became lazy, sloppy. Greer panted, seeing an opening she pounced on the woman, pulling both of them into the pool. Greer wrapped her arm around the woman's face and then brutally raked her claws across her face. The woman went limp as she surfaced. Greer set her to the side.

"STAND DOWN!" A familiar voice roared through a PA-system.

A light blinded Greer, then recognized the figure.

"Lt. General…." Greer panted.

Other guards had tranquilized Feral and were carefully loading her up.

"She's…. she's just a kid." Greer panted to Joyce.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Greer tentatively asked. She looked at the petite frame curled up tightly through the window. It felt weird to

Catherine gripped her furred shoulders, "Honey, I think only you can do this. Look familiar?"

Feral, all she was known by, had balled up into a corner. Sobbing. She had ignored the offered clothing, keeping her ill-fitting outfit, the torn clothing from her change.

Greer sighed, it was all too familiar. She pulled away from her mother, heading towards the door.

Feral winced when the door opened. She hesitated before looking up.

"Hey…" Greer, spoke softly. She squatted to make herself look smaller, less threatening to the smaller woman.

Feral scooted further away, the best she could, whimpering.

"Sterns did this to you?" Greer asked.

That seemed to work Feral up again. Tears flowed again, "Y-yes…. He said… he needed to… perfect his serum. The same one he used on you…"

Greer whimpered.

"He…. God, it hurt so much, Greer." Feral whimpered.

It hit Greer like a sack of bricks whom Feral was, why she smelled familiar. "Lucia….?"


	12. Chapter 11

**DC57: So… This is gonna sound moderately silly. I found this chapter that I thought I uploaded. When I didn't get any reviews…. Well, let's just say I feel quite silly. I hope you all are still following and get a message that this chapter is posted. Heh… sorry about that guys…. Reviews plz. Kthxbai.**

"Are…. Are you sure you want to do this Lucia?" Greer asked.

The other feline paced back and forth. Her long tail flicked back forth. It was a lot longer than Greer's and much more prehensile. Lucia stayed for a few days, but…. She wanted to see her family. She missed her brother and sister, her mom and dad.

Lucia's transformation was not as severe as Greer's. She still retained a lot more human features. Her canine teeth were elongated. Her ears pointed upwards. Her hands and feet had claws. Lucia's body was much more agile, she was faster than Greer, but not as strong.

"Yeah, I miss them, I miss my family. I just want to go home…" Lucia wiped her eyes. She was having a hard time dealing with the changes done to her. Even with all of Greer's comforting, it wasn't the same. Lucia needed her family. She felt it.

"Miss Callasantos…? They're here…." A woman called in.

"Ay…. Dios mio…." Lucia quietly prayed, making the cross across her chest.

"I won't be far away." Greer patted her shoulder. But something sat with her wrong….

The door opened and the father, mother, and younger siblings were ushered in.

" _Where are we?"_ The father asked in Spanish.

A loudspeaker answered, _"Mr. and Mrs. Callasantos, we have found your missing daughter, and she wants to see you. We want to remind you that there have been changes to her body."_

" _Please! I just want to see my lost daughter!"_ The mother yelled out.

" _Mami? Papi?"_ Lucia called out timidly.

" _Lucia? My daughter? Please, let us see you!"_ Her father begged aloud.

Lucia inhaled deeply and took a few steps forward. Her clawed toes clicking as she stepped forward for her family to see them.

Her father's eyes widened. He cursed at her in Spanish, _"Demon! You are not my daughter!"_

" _Papi, don't say such things, it's me, Lucia. Your little Luz…."_ Lucia begged more. Taking another step forward.

The family winced, Lucia's mother covered her siblings' eyes from her. _"Demon! Devil! Help! Take us away from here!"_

"Papi…." Lucia felt the tears well up in her eyes. "Papi, please don't….."

" _You are not my daughter! My daughter died! My daughter is dead!"_ He screamed back at her.

Lucia sat on the bed. Her knees brought up to her chest. The fur on her cheeks were stained. Her eyes swollen from crying so much. Her father's words still echoed in her head.

Greer gently knocked on the door before entering their shared room. "You…. You okay?"

Lucia moved to gently lay down on the bed. That was her answer.

Greer blew a look of her own hair out of the way. She moved to sit the tray of food she brought to Lucia on the nearby nightstand. "You know you need to eat something, Lucia." Greer gently reached and rested a hand on the other's furred shoulder.

Lucia buried her face into the pillow, a shuddering sob sounded, though muffled. Greer sat on the edge of the twin-sized bed. "Lucia…."

"Why? Why did they have to say that?" Lucia cried. She sat up and wrapped her arms around Greer, the only source of comfort she had.

Greer wrapped her arms back around Lucia's smaller frame. "I don't know, but you can stay here, with us."

After the horrendous encounter with her parents, Lucia stayed at the Corps. However she had sunk into a deep depression. She responded only to Greer, when the tigress visited. Once Greer left Lucia retreated into her depression again.

Noticing the pattering, Lt. Joyce conceded. After asking Catherine, Lucia was allowed to move in with Greer and her mother, becoming a surrogate family. Lucia was still traumatized and dealing with her changes, and then the rejection of her own family. However that was three days ago, Lucia had stopped eating and was losing weight. Greer was getting worried about for her furry sister.

"Lucia…" she whispered kindly into her ear. "Please, eat something…."

"Why? Why live like a monster?" Lucia questioned, she finally released Greer's body looking at her hands. The claws that grew out from her fingers, the thick, brown hair covering her body. Save for her red hair and the russet fur on her forearms and calves. A few black stripes on her upper arms and legs. Her long tail had wrapped around Lucia's waist and then over the side it was long. She could even grab and hold onto things with it. Much to Dr. McCoy's delight…

"Please, eat…" Greer begged again, "When you get too hungry…." She stopped herself.

Lucia looked at her curiously, "What happens?"

Greer swallowed, "Just…. It isn't good." The tigress shook her head before reaching for the turkey sandwich. It was already cut in half to share. She offered one half to Lucia. Lucia tentatively took it, licking her lips, it did smell good. She was hungry. Lucia's yellow eyes looked into Greer's pleading green ones, before conceding and taking a bite.

Lucia practically clung to Greer. All of the girls were back at the Corps, to receive their dose of screaming as Greer put it.

Lt. Joyce paced back and forth. Her hands behind her back, wringing against one another, clearly trying to keep her composure. At times she stopped to rub her face and eyes.

"Girls," she finally spoke, "we brought you here, separately with good intentions. As it was all explained to you when you were initially brought to Cresskill. You weren't supposed to even know other metas existed here." Lt. Joyce shot a glaring look at Janet, Jennifer and Namora, "But… I suppose it was too much to ask." She exhaled.

The group of girls exchanged worried looks and Lucia cowered behind Greer.

"All of you will have tracking devices on you at all times."

"But-" Janet started.

"All of you. At all times." Joyce spat. The older woman then sighed. "I also will make you a… junior squad of sorts. Despite all the shenanigans, you girls have proven yourselves to be quite the little team."

The group exchanged curious glances. Though Janet looked beside herself with joy.

"Training starts on Monday. Get your tracers and comm-devices."


	13. Chapter 12

Tigra rubbed the sore spots where she had been hit. She had just finished training with Gambit and his staff.

"Ow…." She complained. The other girls didn't look as though they fared much better. Lucia was soaking wet, Jennifer and Carol were battered and bruised. Namora was burned all over and Janet was trapped in a mason jar. Greer sat beside the girls with a sigh.

"Having fun yet?" She asked no one in particular.

"Are you kidding?" Janet asked, "THIS IS SO COOL! We are going to be super heroes!"

The remaining girls groaned. Janet's optimism was unflappable, even when their asses were handed to them during the training they started two months ago.

School had let out for the summer. The girls' summer camp at the Meta Corps started the following day at 5am. It was rigorous training in all aspects. It made boot camp look like a Scouts' day camp with what Lt. Joyce was putting them through with physical training and the classes as well.

But that wasn't the only thing wearing on Greer…

* * *

Greer toyed with her food at the dinner table. Both her mother and Lucia looked at her with worry, usually Greer's demanding metabolism had her on a second helping by now.

"Everything okay?" Catherine asked, but was only met with silence as Greer stared off.

Lucia then nudged the larger feline with her tail. "¿Tigre…?"

"Huh? What?" Greer snapped out of her daydream.

"You're doing that an awful lot, hun…." Catherine stated. "Everything okay at your training?"

"Yeah. I'm just tired I think." Greer shrugged.

The trio finished dinner and prepared for bed. Lucia moved into one of the other bedrooms, giving Greer back her space. Which Greer appreciated greatly. She closed the door behind her and locked it for privacy's sake.

Contact with Patsy had become strained. Their last phone call ended in a heated argument. Greer brought up that Patsy hadn't returned several texts and calls. Also that all she seemed to talk about was her relationship with Daimon.

Greer felt bad for arguing with her friend and it brought up another sore subject.

 _No one will want someone like me…_ Greer thought to herself. She had stripped down to her skivvies and stood in front of a mirror. _I'll never have what Pats has, a relationship. Who'd love some kind of tiger-like freak show bitch._ Her ears flattened. _Look at you._

A knock at her bedroom door snapped her out of it. She sighed and got dressed for bed before unlocking and opening the door.

"Are you okay?" Lucia asked curiously.

Greer huffed and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." She plodded over to her bed and sat down.

"You don't look okay…" Lucia took a step forward.

She was met with a growl and Greer curling her lip, "I said I was fine dammit!"

Lucia visibly flinched. "Okay. Sorry." She headed towards the door. "G'night."

Greer hung her head low as Lucia quietly closed the door behind her.

* * *

 _Greer giggled. She sighed happily as the other person caressed her smooth skin. They were having such a wonderful time together. Another kiss happened, then another. Greer's shirt was removed, then her shorts were undone. The other's hand slowly moved lower down Greer's body. Then slid between her legs. The other person froze then._

" _What's…. what's wrong?" Greer asked. Looking down, her eyes widened. White fur started on her midsection, then started to spread._

" _You're…. you're…." The unnamed person stammered._

" _No… please.. we were-" Greer pleaded as her transformation started again. Her body reshaping, becoming her tigress form. "We were having so much fun… please don't…"_

 _The other's eyes widened, "You're…"_

The wretched sound of her alarm blared into Greer's ear. She woke with a jolt. She pouted as her dream was interrupted. "Well, I think I know how it would have ended anyways…" She muttered. "They would have called me a monster or a freak, and run off…." She snorted and then headed to the shower.

* * *

It was their lunch break. Greer had moved away from the girls to eat her lunch for the past several days.

"Lucia, any luck on trying to find out what is eating at her?" Jennifer asked.

The brown feline shook her head. "I tried last night, but… It didn't end well." She pouted.

"What about you Carol?"

"No luck here either. My ears are still ringing from the roar she gave me when I tried to talk to her." She sighed. Carol looked heartbroken. "I'm worried about her. She hasn't been this moody for quite a while. I thought this training and stuff would help her get it out of her system. It helped last time when she was hanging out with Dr. McCoy."

Their break was over and the girls returned to training.

* * *

Greer sat on her window sill. She had trained all day, and even stayed over in the habitat with Dr. McCoy, but nothing calmed her down. She felt riled up. Her tail flicked about.

She growled, "That's it, I can't take it." The tigress crawled out of her window and crawled down the tree. Jumping the fence she was outside the perimeter. She deliberately left the image inducer at home. That was how the Corps tracked her.

Greer went for a run, on all fours. The scenery whizzed by. She padded across the ground and the sidewalk. Darting and dodging through the trees, Greer grinned and decided to get more daring. She darted around the glow of the streetlights.

"Stop it!"

A voice caught her ears. Greer froze as a fierce scream pierced the darkening day. Greer followed the sounds to the park. She growled gutturally at what she saw. Two men pinning down a younger woman.

"C'mon… Just giving something a little sweet." The man on top of her moved towards her waistband. The victim couldn't be any older than Greer herself.

Greer saw red at the corner of her eyes. She sounded a roar that made the two males freeze instantly.

"What the hell was that?" One asked.

Greer roared again and charged. "Leave her alone!"

"What the shit?!" The other man worked to zip his fly back up. He only seeing a blur of the black and orange coming at him. It was only later he saw that they large teeth gnashing at him.

Greer snarled and whirled about swiping at them until they finally fled. She huffed and turned to leave wordlessly.

"H-hey, wait…" The girl started. Greer merely met her with a gaze. The victim swallowed, amazed at what she was seeing.

Greer bristled as felt the girl stare. She took a step away.

"W-wait… please. I'm sorry for… staring… Th-thank you, for… you know. Saving me and stuff."

Greer looked at her for a minute. "Yeah, well, welcome. Just be careful."

The girl blinked that the creature even could talk. The two exchanged further looks at each other.

"You… better be careful next time." Greer turned to leave again.

"Wait, please… I just moved here. I went out for a walk and they jumped me…."

Greer turned and her tail flicked tail. "Just… moved here?"

"Yeah. I'm… I'm Daisy."

Greer snorted, not feeling comfortable giving her name, "Tigra."

"I better go." Greer said turning to leave.

"Wait, can I see you again?"

Greer flicked an ear. "Why? Wanna see the freak some more?" She spat.

Daisy visibly winced. "No… that wasn't why." She looked down, hurt at the callous response.

Greer watched her a few more moments. Daisy was an average, medium-length brunette. A little lanky, but otherwise just average. Greer shook her head from the thoughts, deciding not to delve into it too much deeper.

"I'll find you." Greer conceded.

* * *

Greer seemed in better spirits the next morning. Even her training was so much more… smoother and agreeable.

Lucia and Catherine were quite confused at the sudden change in Greer's behavior. After their supper Greer practically ran back up into her room.

She was right back out the window and down the tree. Greer went directly back to the park where the incident had occurred the night before. She lowered herself to get the scent like she was taught to do, with Kraven. Her tail flicked as she inhaled deeply.

"What are you doing?"

Greer turned around with a snarl and her fur bristled. Only to be met with Lucia covered by her image inducer. "What are you doing out here? Especially without your inducer?" She asked in hushed tones.

"Shut it, Lucia. Go away…." Greer growled at her. She tried to get Daisy's scent again.

"You're gonna get caught… Did you not hear Lt. Joyce before all this started? We are supposed to be tracked at _all_ times…. What are you doing anyways?"

"Look, I… I just needed some air, alright?" Greer lied.

Lucia could tell it was obvious, "You… you know could talk to me if something was bothering you… You're…. you're my sister now."

Greer whimpered, that always hit home for her. Lucia was fifteen, it would be natural she would look up to Greer for guidance. Especially given that they had suffered through so much together. Greer sighed. "Alright…."

 _I'll have to lose Lucia somehow…_ Greer decided.

 **DC57: Thank you for reviewing Chesire! Here's another chapter!**


	14. Chapter 13

Greer nearly spat out her soda with what she and Lucia were seeing. A human Dr. McCoy.

It was a week or so before their "summer vacation" would end. School will be starting up. Lucia would be starting her sophomore year, her first time back in school since her transformation.

"You see, Mr. Stark, one of our main members and supporters helped fund this formula. So far, Dr. McCoy, has been normal for the past few days, without many repercussions." Lt. Joyce presented.

"I do have to re-learn that my feet are not as useful as they were." But the tall, strong man still beamed proudly.

"You mean we could be normal again?" Lucia asked with cautious hope.

"Well, therein lies the problem… it might work for you, Lucia." Dr. McCoy explained. "Greer, however…. I'm sorry-"

Greer growled and slammed her fist on the table. "What do you mean?!"

Dr. McCoy tried to calm her with a gesture. "Remember, your change is more complicated than Lucia's-"

"But I thought Sterns or whatever based her off of me!" She argued with a roar.

"Well, h-he did b-but-"

"BUT WHAT?!" She roared again.

"Greer, calm down…" Catherine started. Lucia whimpered and had pressed herself into her adopted mother.

"No! This is bullshit! My one chance to be normal again and I can't take advantage of it! _**WHY?!**_ "

" **STOP IT,** " Lt. Joyce joined in. "Greer, we told you that your original genetic code was compromised when you changed. Lucia's change was more stable…. The formula would work better and would take better to her code."

Greer snarled and stormed out of the conference room.

Greer sulked quietly the entire car ride home. The tension in the vehicle was suffocating. Lucia cowered in the front seat, Catherine sighed disappointed in her daughter's temper.

"Greer-" Catherine started.

"No."

"¿Tigré…?" Lucia whimpered.

"Shut it." Greer immediately silenced all attempts to speak and end the tension. Her tail thumped against the side of the car's interior. It continued that way, her displeasure as visible as the sun was setting.

As soon as they pulled into the driveway Greer immediately bolted into the house, upstairs into her room.

Lucia gently knocked on the door. "G-Greer….?"

"Go. Away." She growled.

Lucia sighed, "Tigre, this temper of yours is like living with my siblings all over again." Lucia extended a claw. She had learned a neat trick that her claws were long and narrow enough that she could pick locks. She might have been practicing. The door opened and she found Greer sitting on her windowsill.

"Go for a run." Lucia said solemnly.

Greer turned to look at her.

"Go on, you need to blow off some steam, and I know that it helps. I'll cover for you." Lucia waved her out the window.

Greer snorted, but then wordlessly was out.

 _Lucia was right, I needed this._ Greer padded on all fours. She ran around the block a few times in the night. Then decided to go harder and faster and further away from her home. Soon enough she found herself at the park again, and she wasn't alone.

 _Daisy._ Greer's eyes widened. She was sitting there on the same bench she was almost assaulted on.

Greer walked around in the brush, "Brave girl." She commented from her hiding spot.

Daisy jumped nearly dropping her notebook before Greer slowly started to emerge.

"Tigra! …y-you found me?" Daisy looked relieved, almost happy about it.

"…In a sense… I'm impressed that you even came back here." Greer still kept her distance. "Given what almost happened last time we met here."

"I… I was k-kinda hoping you would come back here." Daisy blushed and shuffled around. A book fell off her lap.

Tigra looked down. It was a sketchpad. She blinked and leaned over and had scooped it up. It had laid open and the feline carefully turned the pages. Some works were colored, some were inked, others were done in pencil alone.

"Artist, huh?"

Daisy was a shade of crimson. "S-sort of. T-they're n-not very good. Uhm…." She shifted around nervously, watching Tigra. As much as she wanted to swipe her personal book away, she didn't think it was a good idea to take it from a massive carnivore.

"Are you kidding? I can't draw my way out of a paper bag with one of those super fat crayons…" Tigra spoke enviously. The last unfinished sketch stopped her. It was a rendition of herself. Smaller, lither and much more human with long russet hair. Rather than normal clothing, Tigra was wearing a black bikini with some crest in the middle, and then some sort of tooth decoration around her waist. Tigra chuckled. "Thanks for slimming me down…" She closed the book and handed it back. "Just make sure you tell folks that is from your imagination…. You aren't supposed to know I exist."

"Y-yes ma'am. I mean… Tigra." Daisy swallowed hard, nervously. "A-are you from around here?"

"Yeah, sort of." Tigra relaxed on the shared bench.

"O-oh. I… I have to s-start school next week. C-cresskill…"

Tigra smiled. _That stutter is adorable…_ She shook her head. "Well, good luck," she stood to leave.

"W-wait…. I… uhm… can we hang out sometime? I mean talk more? Sometime? I can…. Draw more if you like and…." Daisy stumbled all over her words.

Tigra thought some more. "I can…. Give you my email and maybe we can chat on Google." Tigra motioned for her to hand the book back and a pen. On the portrait of herself, writing carefully on the bottom edge.

Daisy still had an intense blush across her face. "T-thank you. Really. I… have a hard time making friends and stuff. I don't…. have any…." She brushed a lock of her hair out of her way and out from her glasses.

 _No friends…? Poor girl…_ "Well, you have one… but. Please… Please… please keep me a secret. I could get in a lot of trouble. You could get in a lot of trouble." Tigra looked at her worriedly.

"Okay! I always loved 'Pete's Dragon.'" She gave Tigra a thumbs-up. Then facepalmed herself for the dorky reference.

"Sure, I'll be 'Daisy's Tiger.' I'll work on my invisibility." Tigra stuck her tongue out at the girl.

The two girls parted ways. Greer cautiously crawled into her window. Lucia was stretched out on Greer's bed. She waved and then took her leave silently. Greer looked happy for once she didn't want to shatter that by giving her the scolding she deserved. Her long tail flicked as she left.

Greer swallowed a low growl. She and Lucia were getting ready for school. She had to.

Lucia was human. Starting with low-doses of the treatments. They were successful. Her cat-like features receded. They started on extreme low-doses and she responded well. They got the treatments to last long enough for school. Lucia would then change back to her cat-self at the compound. The changes back were still painful, but they were working on that.

After school, all the girls got an hour and a half of training, and then an hour of tutoring for help on their homework. Lt. Joyce wanted to ensure their studies did not suffer while in training. Every other Saturday was intensive training, and the other days were theirs.

"¿Tigré, por que you stare at me? You know it's weird…." Lucia locked eyes with her striped sister.

"Jealous." Greer gruffly said. She took her place at the mirror and tried to get her short hair to cooperate with some product.

Lucia blinked. That was the first time Greer had admitted the obvious, and said it aloud.

"You have my inducer, yes? Just in case?" Lucia asked worriedly. Greer was to keep an extra on her person. The treatments had held steady for the prescribed length of time, but Lt. Joyce was still wary.

"Maybe I do, and maybe I don't." Greer activated her own to make sure her look was together.

"¡Tigré!" She whapped the top of Greer's head with a hair straightener.

"Fine, I have it. Alright!" She huffed.

"Girls! You best get walking or you will be late!" Catherine called up the stairs, and also trying to stop their bickering.

Greer did make sure the spare inducer was charged and in her bag before leaving. Lucia and Greer walked towards the school.

"…How's it feel?" Greer asked.

"Different. I… It is weird to have something for a while, and then it is gone again."

"You mean your tail?"

"Sí. I never realized how much I did use it until now. I was trying to pack my bag this morning and was wondering why my pencil case was not moving."

Lucia had learned to grasp and use her tail almost like another hand. "Also I cannot hear as well."

"Mmm… But you always could see all the colors."

"You cannot?" This was new to Lucia.

Greer shook her head. "No. I'm colorblind since… everything happened." Greer chose her words as they started to pass by more people also going to school. "I am starting to forget what red looked like. My room to me looks like mustard. I need to paint it a color that I can see."

Lucia nodded as they approached the entrance to the school, then they stopped.

"Good luck today."

"Yeah, same to you. See you at lunch."

Greer and Jennifer shared many of the same classes which Greer was grateful for the company. She sat beside her closely. Getting to know her more when they could speak quietly.

Jennifer's "affliction" was caused by exposure to radiation that was nearby her house. An explosion at a nearby lab her cousin worked in. She was home alone when the explosion happened. Jennifer's call to her cousin, Bruce, was ill-timed and the explosion happened a mere minute later. Jennifer always blamed herself. Bruce was in the care of the Meta-Corps hospital, kept in a medically induced coma with severe radiation burns. Jennifer's exposure caused her to become the green giantess Greer had seen before both in training and when they met during the stint with Kraven. Her triggers vary, and what she looked like depended on what triggered her change. During training she was strong, less bulky than Greer, but green skinned with matching, flowing long green hair.

The group of girls met during lunch, Lucia included. Janet gushed all over Lucia's "new, but not really new, but kinda new to her look." Lucia looked pleadingly to Greer for help, the tiger shrugged. It was nice not to get bugged by Janet for once, opting to sit between Jennifer and Carol.

The last class of the day, Greer was solo. No Jennifer, no other friends. She sighed and took a seat in the back corner of the glass, looking at the textbook sitting on the table. There was an open seat beside her for an unfortunately soul that would hopefully not sit there.

"U-uhm….c-can I sit here?"

 _That stutter._ Greer looked up to see the worried look of Daisy.

The small brunette was gripping her bag and books as though her very life were connected to them. She also looked like she had been through a wringer.

"Uh… sure." Greer watched her look a bit relieved as she carefully sat down.

"Rough day?"

"Y-yeah…. I… I am new. O-oh! I'm Daisy!" She extended her hand.

Greer gulped. "I… I can't shake hands… I'm a bit of a germophobe." She laughed nervously, hoping that excuse would sate her curiosity.

"Oh. T-that's okay. I understand." Daisy gave a smile.

"I'm… I'm Greer. Pleasure to meet you Daisy. I hope you are good at chemistry."

"Not really…" Daisy bit her lip and opened her book. Showing the sketches that Greer had already seen. "I… I am more of an artist."

Greer smiled seeing the familiar sketches. "Nice. I'm jealous."

"I… I want to be an artist, maybe an illustrator for children's books." Daisy smiled.

"I like that idea…" Greer smiled.

The first weeks were rocky per usual as everyone adjusted to their schedule. Immediately after school, a white van came by and loaded the girls up it had a health club logo on the side. They loaded up and went on to the Corps.

They ushered Lucia and Greer away. Lucia only wanting Greer present when her serum wears off. Greer winced as the changes happened. Hearing the bones snap and rearrange. She has to go through that every day. Greer was unsure if she continued to envy the situation.

Greer checked her email and smiled. Daisy and "Tigra" had started chatting more. Exchanging e-mails and Daisy showing more of her work.

 _Flowerbabe12345: Hey._

 _Hobbes57: Heyas._

 _Flowerbabe12345: How are you doing?_

 _Hobbes57: I am alright, how about you?_

 _Flowerbabe12345: I am okay. Trying to make it through school. One day at a time._

 _Hobbes57: Everything going okay?_

 _Flowerbabe12345: Yeah…_

 _Hobbes57: The ellipses are telling me otherwise._

 _Flowerbabe12345: …._

 _Hobbes57: …Daisy?_

 _Flowerbabe12345: …There are some girls and stuff that they pick on me._

 _Hobbes57: …I see…_


	15. Chapter 14

**_DC57: One note before you guys continue, Emma has now been changed to Daisy. So you all don't feel like you missed a step. I have gone back and replaced the name. I think._**

"Please stop! Give it back!" Daisy pleaded. Her bag had taken from her by those awful girls again.

"Oh come on Mouse, we just want to see you brought us today." Ashley, the leader of the group, said as she unzipped the bag. The other two lackeys held Daisy back as her bag was rifled through.

"What's this are you an artist or something?" The sketchbook was pulled out. Ashley started to flip through it. "What's this you some sort of furry?" She discovered the picture of Tigra and a few more that Daisy had started.

Greer grunted as she heard the commotion and saw that Daisy was the one being tormented. Greer released a growl, taking her bag off and shoving it into Lucia, heading towards the commotion.

"Look girls! Daisy's a furry!" Ashley taunted more. "She thinks she's a tiger-person!" The lackeys giggled.

"Drop it." Greer barked. She was hard to miss moving through the crowd.

"What the giant is gonna help you?" Ashley snorted. Greer was familiar with Ashley and her taunts, she just often ignored her.

"Yes, I am. Now give it back to her." Greer snorted. She looked to Daisy, then to Lucia that was giving her a very concerned look, then she scurried away.

Ashley took a few steps forward and matched Greer's stern gaze, only being a few inches shorter she didn't back down. "And what are you going to do about it?" Ashley reached up and pushed Greer's chest.

Greer huffed taking a step back from the push. She felt her ears pin back. "More. Than. THAT!" With the last word for emphasis, she lunged and shoved Ashley back with some force. Unfortunately, her unseen claws caught some of the fabric tearing the front of Ashley's blouse away as the woman fell. Her entire front was exposed, her bra on display for all to see.

"HEY!" Ashley blushed and moved to try and cover her exposed chest.

"ALRIGHT!" A male voice called out. Lucia was behind the man, she had gotten the assistant principal. "Party's over girls. Both of you in my office. Now!"

* * *

Greer and Ashley shot glares at each other. Ashley was given a Phys. Ed. shirt to wear, that completely clashed with the rest of her ensemble.

"Bitch." Ashley spat at Greer.

Greer curled her lip and gave a guttural growl. Ashley's eyes widened for a moment than narrowed. "What ARE you some sort of freak?"

Both girls received detention. Greer missed training and tutoring. Her ears flattened during the hour of detention, glaring daggers at Ashley. She tried to do her homework in the meantime and not imagine the scolding she was going to get from Lt. Joyce and her mother.

She sighed as they were finally dismissed, letting Ashley leave first, not wanting to deal with her shit anymore today.

As Greer exited she saw Daisy waiting, clutching her bag and looking a little worse for wear.

Greer moved close, "You okay?"

Daisy sniffled, "The… the other two girls kinda…" She whimpered and started to cry.

"Alright… It's alright." She wished she could hug Daisy tightly. "I'll… I can walk you home." _I am going to be in soooooooo much trouble….._

* * *

"This… This is it….." Daisy smiled nervously. Her home was modest and a few blocks away from Greer's. "Thanks for… helping me and stuff." Daisy bit her lip thought about grasping Greer's hand.

"Uhhh…" Greer looked at her warningly.

"S-sorry…!" Daisy laughed nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "I just… I… I like you Greer." She blushed furiously.

Greer felt the blood rise to her cheeks. "You… like me?"

"Well, yeah… y-you're the only person that has been remotely nice to me since I moved here. Dad's job made us move here, I left all my friends and stuff back in Biloxi." Daisy looked down and twiddled her fingers. "And you're… attractive and nice, and strong."

"I… I see…." Greer was trying to wrap her head around what exactly Daisy was spouting off.

"A-anyways, I better go, it's dinner time. I… Here…. Thanks again." Daisy held out a folded paper for Greer. Then darted inside her home.

* * *

"Greer Grant! What is this about you getting detention?! Do you know how Lt. Joyce contacted me?! What if you got caught?" Catherine scolded her daughter, but wasn't sure it was even being heard.

Lucia looked between the two, then nudged the striped body.

"Huh?! Oh… yeah… detention….." She murmured and went back to staring off. "Sorry…." Greer wordlessly got up and went to her room. She hadn't eaten much either.

 _I like you Greer._ The cute voice echoed in her head. Greer carefully moved and opened up the paper Daisy had given to her. It was a well done sketch of Greer. Clearly Daisy had watched her in detention across the hall, and while she waited for Greer, drew the portrait of her at the desk. _You're attractive and nice, and strong…._

"If only you knew…." Greer sighed quietly and carefully put the picture in the nightstand.

She looked down at her hands and sniffled. _I want to like you too, but I can't…. I'm… I'm this._ Greer thought herself possibly more interested in women, but… with all that happened to her, it had been put on the backburner. She bit her lip, the more she thought on Daisy… the more she felt herself desiring something with Daisy. Wishing she could so hard she could have something so far out of her reach. Greer whimpered and felt the tears well up. Even with her mother, Lucia and the girls, she still felt so alone.

 _But she would run…. I'd just be a freak to her._ Greer crawled back onto her bed and curled up tightly, her tail wrapping around herself. Her ears pinned back as she finally started to drift off, ignoring the sounds her computer made, messages from Daisy.

 _Flowerbabe12345: Hey._

 _Flowerbabe12345: You there?_

 _Flowerbabe12345: Tigra?_

 _Flowerbabe12345: Hope everything is okay…._

 _Flowerbabe12345: I'd like to meet and talk with you sometime if we could._

* * *

Greer got hit in the face during their training. "OOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!"

Lt. Joyce sighed, "Let's just call it a day…. Get cleaned up girls."

Greer grunted and rubbed her cheek where the bean bag projectiles nailed her.

"Greer, what is wrong? Please talk to me…." Carol helped pull Greer up to her feet.

"I'm lonely." Greer pouted.

"Greer, all you need to do is-"

"Not that kind of lonely… I…. I want someone. I want a relationship." Greer looked down. "There is someone that I really like."

Carol smiled. "Well, don't leave me hanging! Who is he?!" The two walked into the locker room after all the other girls.

Greer blushed and remained quiet.

"Is it that Apex panther guy at the Corps?" Carol rubbed her chin in thought. "I mean you two are very similar… he just seems so-"

"It's not him…."

"Then what guy?"

"…girl." Greer corrected feeling the blood rise to her cheeks.

Carol blinked a few times and then felt her own blush rise to her cheeks. "G-girl….?"

"Y-yeah…."

The two sat for a few moments in awkward silence, the Greer headed to the showers.

"Greer, I'm sorry, I didn't know." Carol joined her in the stalls. "Look, I don't really care who you like, guy or girl, but I do care about you being so friggin' mopey all the time."

"Carol, she's normal. She's not a meta." Greer sighed. "She would just think of me like some freak, probably and run….."

Carol flung a handful of water at the tigress. "Greer, if there has been anything I have learned about love is that when people care about each other, they don't give two shits about what they look like." Carol moved to hug Greer.

The tigress chuffed and hugged back.

"Naked woman hugs make everything better right?"

"Right. ….Hey!"

Carol flew off giggling.

Carol had promised to keep Greer's newfound discovery of herself a secret from the others and Lt. Joyce. But it still didn't lighten much of the burden Greer felt in her chest.

"Ms. Grant…. Lucia left without her treatments." A corps worker stopped her, handing her a bag. "A monthly supply of it, should keep her safe over the fall break you girls will have from here and school."

"Right…." Greer looked at the paper bag. "I'll give it to her."

* * *

Greer smiled to Daisy once class ended. They exited the classroom together. "Hey… Greer? I know fall break is coming up and I don't know if your club is doing anything but… do you… do you think we could hang out sometime?" Daisy nervously swallowed and the blush across her cheek was growing.

"Y-yeah… maybe… I'd… I'd like to hang out with you….." Greer responded. She wanted to do that.

"Okay! Great! I'll give you a call!" Daisy smiled as they exchanged numbers quickly. Greer smiled and waved Daisy good-bye as Greer headed towards the van. She waved to Daisy and loaded up.

"Alright girls, you have a week off. I will also give you a week off. I will trust that nothing will happen to violate that trust."

Janet was shaking with joy. As soon Joyce finished she squealed and took off, shrinking and her gossamer wings buzzing about as she did a victory lap around the group.

* * *

Greer struggled, she had tried to pick up drawing, but she needed more practice especially holding a pencil for more delicate maneuvers and shading in her large hands. She sighed as the drawing wasn't anything like she pictured in her head. She sighed and luckily the phone chirping proved to be a nice distraction, especially since it was from Daisy.

 _Hey._ Daisy sent.

 _Hey._ Greer sent back.

 _My… uhm… do you want to come over and watch a movie?_

Greer stopped and thought. She then smiled wryly as she decided. _Yeah._

Greer went to the bathroom and got dressed up. _I'm going to do this I am tired of this. Waiting. I want somebody._ She growled and uncapped the bottle of Lucia's treatment. _She takes two and that lasts her the whole day at school. I take two and then I sleep the rest of it off…._ Greer braced herself and then poured herself a glass of water, downing the pills and then the water.

* * *

Greer nervously knocked on the door. Daisy's mother answered. "You must be Greer. Daisy hasn't stopped talking about a redhead in her class. I am so glad she finally has met a new friend here!" The chubby woman embraced Greer. Greer gasped in shock, it was an old sensation, to be hugged tightly.

Greer had stolen Lucia's treatments that allow her to be human and to see all the colors. And it worked much to Greer's shock and amazement. She looked exactly her projection. _Why… why didn't they try this sooner?_

"Greer!" Daisy was shocked to see her guest allowing a hug from someone.

"Hey!" Greer parted the hug from one, and moved to give another to Daisy. _This… she smells so nice. Feels so… right._ Greer forced herself to let go before things got awkward.

"Heh, let's head to my room…." Daisy guided Greer to the kitchen, then opened the basement door. In the basement was a fully-furnished room.

"Wow…. Nice."

Daisy's room was very nice. A flat screen on one end with her own sofa, then behind that was a bed.

"What do you feel like watching?"

The two decided on some Japanese animated movie. Daisy had seen it several times, but Greer hadn't even heard of it. During the movie the two found themselves shifting closer and closer, soon sharing a blanket. Then Greer wrapped an arm around Daisy. Soon they even forgot the movie was still playing.

Daisy moved and kissed Greer's lips and Greer returned the affection.

"Greer… I… I didn't know if you… like…. Liked me like this." Daisy panted and straddled the larger woman's waist and hips.

"Mmmmf… I do…." Greer wasn't sure how far things would go but…. It felt so good and right.

Daisy lefted Greer's shirt and started to caress her toned middle. Greer cooed softly. She shivered at the sensation, "I… I missed touch so much…." Greer mmmfed and bit her lip. She felt her fur bristle.

 _Fur….._ Greer opened her eyes. "N-no…." She whimpered and tried to sit up. Her hand gave an unsettling crack as she felt the fabric pierce with her claws. Everything was accelerated. Colors washed away from her vision again. She grunted and tried to get Daisy off of her. The other woman frozen on top.

She watched Greer's face twist and contort in pain at first, then…. Into something else. Greer's nose and mouth bled. Daisy blinked slowly.

Greer looked for an escape. All she saw were the windows towards the top of the room. She struggled to her feet and then collapsed. _No… please….._ Greer pushed herself up on her arms and knees. She gasped as she felt the clothing stretched her its limits again. Resuming her… large, furred body again. Greer pinned her ears back, the tears streaming down her face. Her feet tearing away the shoes she had borrowed from Lucia. She whimpered and cowered, covering her head and face with her arms.

 _Why me…. Why now….. It's… it was just like that dream…. Maybe… maybe this is a dream…_

Greer looked up and locked her eyes with Daisy's brown ones.

"Girls… Is everything okay?" Daisy's mother called downstairs.

"Y-….Yeah mom! Movie got too loud, sorry!" Daisy called back, though her eyes not leaving the tigress now in her basement room. The door clicked behind the mother, seemingly satisfied.

Daisy examined the striped woman as she seemed to unfurl herself in defeat. The red hair, the intense gaze, the hands, the feet….

"It…. It's you….." Daisy spoke quietly with wide eyes.

 _ **DC57: Hrmmmmm... I'm not exactly sure I like how this turned out. I may go back and re-write this. But... let me know what you guys thing. Again, Apex belongs to Kjax. Drop a line and let me know. Thank you!**_


	16. Chapter 15

Greer brought her knees up to her chest. She still sat motionless on the floor of Daisy's room.

"It…. It's you… you're-"

"Yeah." Greer finished for her.

"You saved me. A… a couple times now…." Daisy smiled nervously and joined her on the floor.

"Yeah….."

"So….. you really are part tiger?" Daisy bit her lip and moved a hand to touch Greer again. Finally able to the young woman, she slowly caressed the soft fur.

"Yeah." Greer watched her a few moments, then forced herself to stand upright.

"Wh…. Are you leaving?"

"Yeah, I should go…. I don't…. I don't want to get you into trouble." Greer whimpered. _Just when everything started to feel right…._ Greer caught herself sniffling before she felt a warm embrace around her.

"I won't tell anyone, please don't go. This… this doesn't make me stop liking you Greer." Daisy spoke softly and she held onto the tigress tight. "You know I do… I would be sad if… I couldn't see you again."

Greer chuffed softly, everything Daisy spoke rang true for herself as well. "Please….." Greer started as she slowly returned the hug, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman. "You… you can't tell anyone, not even your mother. Otherwise, I really would have to leave forever, and you couldn't see me…. Then…. I'd be back in a cell." Greer shuddered at that grim realization.

Greer sighed, "But I really should go for the night…."

xxxxx

The two met in secret in the middle of the nights. First once a week, then it grew in frequency. Their relationship growing closer as the two bonded in affection for one another. Greer only meeting in the park or at Daisy's house. Greer now having to use her inducer again, but now Daisy was aware of the situation. Unfortunately they couldn't touch at school.

Carol nudged her friend as they walked out of training towards the bus to take them home, "Sooooooo…..?"

Greer blinked. "So…. what?"

"So how are you and Daisy doing?"

Greer immediately blushed under her fur and looked away. "I… uhmmm…" She coughed, but she couldn't help but talk to her best friend about her new relationship status. "I may have posed for a sketch….. naked."

"Oooooh! I am so happy for you Greer!" Carol tackle hugged the large feline. "I mean that, It's like you are a completely different woman. You're so happy, and not so….. grumpy."

Greer smiled. It was true. It was the first time in a long while she felt content, dare she say happy. She chuffed happily.

The girls dressed warmly as winter had come around.

The group of girls gathered outside the Corps, all were finished with training and homework, preparing for their Christmas break.

"WHY IS IT SO COLD?!" Janet whined. Her petite frame overly bundled up.

"Because December, dingus." Jennifer retorted. Jennifer had become a much more confident woman. With counseling, training, She-Hulk was now the leader of the bunch. A second-in-command had yet to be selected. The group were all codenamed A-force.

"Speak for yourself," Greer huffed. "At least you aren't a fuzzball. I'm sweltering in this coat…." Greer complained, unzipping her coat a little for air.

The girls began to load up into the van to take them home.

"Think Lucia will be back tomorrow?" Janet asked. Lucia and Janet seemed to have paired up and were becoming fast friends, being the same age and sharing more classes together. Lucia was fighting off sickness and was absent from both school and their training this evening.

"Yeah, I think she is on the mend. I'll pass on your homework and notes. Thanks for doing that for her." Janet's notes always started out well, then turned into fashion sketches of either of the girls wearing various outfits of Janet's own design.

That was when it seemed as though that the ground underneath the van exploded and knocked the vehicle onto its side. Greer and Jennifer where knocked backwards. When the girls' vision cleared, they saw the van on its side and Carol, Janet and Namora were trapped inside.

"Jenn!" Greer called out.

"I'm a little busy!" was the response. Jennifer, slowly shifting into her jade green form was fighting off what looked to be some awful creature. The crunch of metal brought Greer's sight back to the van, and another insectoid-like monster had pounced on top of the vehicle. Greer growled and leapt at it, the instinct to protect her friends kicking in. She knocked it off its "prize" and started fighting for all she was worth.

Armed Meta-Corps personnel joined the fight, blasting any new foes and trying to help Jennifer and Greer with blasts to the apparently protected exoskeletons.

Jennifer had manage to shift fully and knocked out her own opponent and was working on righting the van. Emerald muscles lifted it with little effort and then she tore the side door free.

"Everyone okay?"

Janet flitted out, shrunken to her trademark Wasp stature directly to Jennifer. Namora crawled out with an unconscious Carol in her arm. "She's out cold." Blood trickled from Namora's face, Carol's lip was cut. Greer flung the creature off of her and into a tree.

"What the shit are these things?!" A Wasp shrieked loudly. She panicked and as opposed to staying small, her body increased in size, first to Greer's height, then surpassing Jennifer! Clothes were stretched and torn quickly, exposing the now 60-foot tall teenager to the winter, and the enemy. "AAAAHHHH! They're crawling all over me!" She screamed.

"Brood." Lt. Joyce flew to the girls. "Insect hive-mind creatures. I have no idea what they would want here…. Get-"

Lt. Joyce was interrupted by a piercing shriek. Then an opaque swarm of the creatures flooded the group.

"Watch the claws, Greer!" Janet complained as she swatted the Brood away.

"I would if I could _watch_ anything! I can't see my nose in front of my face!" Greer got various cuts across her furred body from the sharp, insect-legs. She resorted to flailing blindly.

"Gah!" Jennifer cried out as her shoulder was popped out place.

"A-force!" Lt. Joyce directed. "Close your eyes and keep them closed!" Lt. Joyce screamed.

All did as they were told. Greer could tell there was an intense bright light, she then covered her eyes with her arm, keeping the other at the ready for Brood attackers. The flash finally receded… and so did the Brood.

Lt. Joyce cautiously opened an eye, panting. "Clear, we are okay A-force….."

The other girls followed suit. Janet trying to cover what she could for modesty as she focused on shrinking. Greer quickly peeled off her jacket, which was very large for the normally petite woman. Janet muttered in thanks before collapsing against Greer.

"What…. Was that about?" Namora asked to no one in particular, letting a Corps medic treat a wound to her side.

"The roach infestation or Janet the sudden giant?" Greer asked, she held the small woman carefully against her body to help keep her warm. Janet cuddled up as much as possible as she slept.

"We have a bigger problem….." Lt. Joyce brought their attention back to her after an agent informed her of something. "The Brood is gone… and they took Carol."

Xxxxxxxxx

Carol stirred awake. Her body suspended by restraints. The air felt acrid it burned when she inhaled. She felt a draft against her body before she finally opened her eyes.

A screeching sound as she saw more of the oversized insects. She saw she was naked. Carol's arms and legs couldn't move. She whimpered in fear as one of the insects approached her. She then screamed as intense waves of pain washed over her.

XXXxxxxxxxxx

"We have to get her back!" Greer roared.

"Greer, we don't even know where they went." Jennifer tried to calm the cat down.

"No, but we can find her." Lt. Joyce snorted. She guided the two into a control room of sorts. "Carol's physiology and radiation is easily traceable on Earth, and in space. My crew here will work on trying to find her. The Brood more than likely have left our orbit for now. What is unnerving is why they were here and why they wanted to take Carol in the first place."

"Ma'am?" An officer waved Lt. Joyce over. "There are unusual bursts of energy here…." He pointed on a star map. "Girls, we are to stay here, we'll contact your folks. We have to prepare for a trip."

Lt. Joyce pulled Jennifer aside to prepare her. The other girls were escorted to rooms for sleep. Lt. Joyce said they were going to have a crash course in space travel. The school would also be contacted regarding their absence. Lucia was brought in and Catherine was given an explanation.

Greer sighed as they were led to rooms to stay in. Her mother brought a bag for a few days' of supplies.

"Stay safe…." Catherine hugged her daughter.

Greer and Lucia bunked together. Greer curled up on the bunk and sighed. She pulled out her phone and started to text Daisy. Her tail thwapped about.

Greer: Hey… Sorry, I'm not going to be able to make it tonight. Something. Something important came up.

Daisy: Everything okay?

Greer: I can….. explain later maybe.

Daisy: Stay safe.

Lucia peeked over Greer's shoulder. "Who's that?"

Greer growled. "None of your business." She hid her phone under the pillow. "Besides we need to focus on getting Carol back…." Greer pushed herself upright and sighed. "Hope she is okay."

 _ **DC57: Anyone still reading this? Sorry for the disappearance. It just... hasn't been good for me lately. Maybe writing will help again. Leave a review.**_


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